Asbestos removal will cost more than new floor tiles for Massachusetts school
The School Facilities Committee in Chicopee, Massachusetts voted unanimously to spend $69,000 to correct an error in Comprehensive High School’s new science labs and to replace the old cafeteria floor in the Edward J. Bellamy Middle School.
A majority of the money, to the tune of about $41,000, is being spent on replacing the cafeteria floor, which still contains the building’s original floor tiles. Those floor tiles are made of asbestos. Installing the new floor will cost $19,000, but removing the old floor tiles will cost even more. Certified asbestos contractors have to be hired to remove the asbestos floor tiles, monitor the site for safety and eliminate the hazardous waste safely. It will cost $22,400 for the removal. Asbestos was commonly used in building materials for much of the last century. If asbestos fibers become airborne, they can be inhaled and cause serious asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer.
The new high school science labs were built with enough stations for 16 students to work at the same time, but a majority of the science classes have 20 students in them. A total of $27,485 will be spent to add a new lab station to each of the two science classrooms in order to accommodate all of the students in each class.
Funding for the projects will be taken from the school’s maintenance fund. Work is expected to take place over Christmas vacation.
For the full story, go to MassLive.com.
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