Asbestos Discovered at Elementary School
Asbestos floor tiles was discovered in the 3,300 square-foot area near Violetville Elementary school's cafeteria. After this, the recreation center in the school was closed Tuesday.
Kurt Kocher, spokesman for the city's Department of Public Works said that the center will remain closed until the tiles are replaced and other maintenance work is done. He added that the school is open as the tiles did not pose a health risk.
Although hundreds of new schools have been built in recent years there are still significant numbers of older buildings which were constructed when the danger of asbestos was not fully known. Asbestos was a common building material from 1945 until 1975 and was used in wall and ceiling panels, insulation and lagging. The deadly asbestos fibers can enter the lungs as a person breathes and can cause many diseases, including cancer.
According to Kocher, the tiles are not crushed to the point where fibers can be inhaled by someone.
"A lot of old homes and buildings have asbestos in them. It's when they essentially get in a pulverized, almost powder form, that's when they are dangerous. But we don't believe there was any kind of trouble along those lines," Kocher said.
Edie House, a city school spokeswoman said it was not the responsibility of the school to replace the tiles. "Though the recreation center is in the school, the replacement of the floor tiles is the responsibility of the Department of Recreation and Parks, not the school system," Edie said.
Parents were notified regarding the asbestos floor tiles in the school.
