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The Borough Council opened several bids Tuesday night for a project to remove asbestos. They are planning to spend around $15,000 in order to clean-up asbestos from the old Second Street School. The council has decided to go with a Jim Thorpe based company named Sargent Enterprises, for $14,600.
The council will pay for the work through a a grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
The project cost not only includes asbestos removal, but it's disposal also. The asbestos flooring of the building is approximately 3,500 square feet.
A study had been made in February by Volz Environmental Inc., a Pittsburgh-based organization which made it clear that there was a minimal amount of asbestos in the building. The bids were sought according to this study.
It was when five public works employees filed complaints against the borough seeking worker's compensation in October, that the council started looking into this matter. The workers claim was that they were exposed to the asbestos in 2003, three years after the borough bought the building from the Shikellamy School District. However, two of them, Don Keeley and Nathan Fisher, withdrew their complaints when realized that they hadn't suffered any illness or health issues due to asbestos exposure. The thrid employee Todd Snyder's claim is still outstanding as he is yet to be examined by a physician.
Borough secretary Janice Bowman said that former employee Steve Haas and Steve Carr had denied his worker's compensation claim
"I believe the borough will reach an agreement on a contract with the street department's union soon," Borough solicitor Rick Shoch said. Since December, street department employees have been working without a contract.
"The employees plan to drop a number of grievances filed against the borough once a contract has been agreed upon," he added.
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