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Traces of asbestos were discovered in paint outside the Chapman Middle School building. The officials decided to close the school until air quality in classrooms is tested.
The school superintendent Joseph Rull said that inspectors had taken samples from 10 classrooms on Friday and the levels of asbestos was shown to be safe.
The level of asbestos was only 3 to 5 percent when 10 samples of the paint were tested.
"Any material with greater than 1 percent asbestos is regulated," Rull said, "As a result, town representatives contacted the Department of Environmental Protection and an environmental consultant."
The testing is expected to be completed by today. Rull said that he anticipated to have results by this afternoon. Rull appeared to be confident there would be no air quality issues.
Asbestos was found out during a project to repaint the concrete at the Chapman School. The work is going on outside the gym, in the old high school's vocational area and Chard Street area.
Rull tells that the asbestos has been revealed to be non-friable. Fibers of non-friable asbestos are not released into the air easily. He adds that the Department of Environmental Protection has taken immediate steps to address loose and peeling paint and to remove paint chips on the ground.
To prevent asbestos to be released into the air, concrete and asphalt surfaces were coated by spray-on latex sealant. Officials are planning to install a temporary fencing in order to prevent direct contact with chipped air.
"The fencing will remain in place for the duration of the project," Rull said. He will conduct a meeting at the school tonight to discuss the situation.
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