THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2007
Asbestos Find To Spark Cleanup
By DAN CAMERON
Journal Reporter
A letter of intent making Apr. 4 the deadline to determine a price quote for performance contractors' work on the Life Safety Survey Project, a district-wide renovation endeavor, was approved at the Feb. 7 meeting of East Maine Elementary School Dist. 63 Board of Education.
Among various safety updates and required maintenance, the cleanup project will include the removal of asbestos and encapsulated asbestos found unexpectedly in several district schools. The project's overall cost will exceed $7 million, paid for through borrowing. Work is expected to begin this summer.
Every school building in the district will be surveyed by a licensed engineer or architect annually. When Dist. 63 hired Arcon Associates to investigate structures at Apollo Elementary School, what appeared to be concrete panels at the top of the building was revealed to be asbestos. Upon further investigation, additional asbestos was discovered in doorways with inner linings, roofs, and within sub-carpet tile, explained Director of Operations and Maintenance Mike Nolan.
If these sensitive areas were ever taken apart, the asbestos contained would become friable and hazardous, making it necessary for all asbestos-related removal work to be completed during the summer.
Life Safety Project work not related to asbestos can be performed piecemeal during short breaks like during the spring and winter and even Institute days. Because of extensive precautionary measures necessary when dealing with asbestos, removal work can only be completed when students will be absent for a long period of time.
"We want East Maine School District to be the safest place for children to learn that they can have," said Nolan.
Removal work will most likely take more than one summer to complete.
"We're looking forward to getting started. When we get done with this, the school district will be in excellent shape for the next 25 years," said Nolan.
The district has worked with licensed asbestos consulting companies to maintain an extensive, long-term asbestos management plan.