School officials in Montpelier, Vermont are learning that asbestos floor tiles are expensive—not to install, but to remove. The price tag to remove the tiles from Montpelier’s Main Street Middle School will be at least at least $50,000. The school was closed by the Health Department after it was learned that the school’s ongoing asbestos removal was being handled improperly.
It is critical that strict protocols be observed during asbestos removal to prevent the release of deadly asbestos fibers into the surrounding breathing space. When airborne fibers are inhaled and remain in the lungs, various lung conditions—including mesothelioma—may develop. Asbestos diseases generally take decades to appear.
The asbestos removal and subsequent air testing at the Montpelier school could last two weeks, possibly impacting the start of the new academic year.
For the full story, go to the Boston Globe.
