Locker room asbestos contamination closes Colorado school
Niwot High School in Colorado closed for two days in mid-April after a girls’ physical education locker room wall was damaged by a construction worker before it was scheduled to be torn out. The locker room was being renovated to come into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and it was closed to students in March. Most of the asbestos was removed from the locker room over spring break, but the wall remained in place because time ran out before classes started back up.
Asbestos abatement was supposed to continue over the summer, but a piece of drywall was accidentally removed behind an electrical panel, and it was suspected to contain asbestos. The construction worker responsible watered down the materials and covered them in plastic, correctly following procedures, and notified his supervisors.
School district officials decided to close school and suspend classes for the rest of the day at 1:00 pm on Monday, April 12. School remained closed until Thursday because air quality tests showed a danger of asbestos exposure until Wednesday afternoon.
For the full story, go to The Longmont Times-Call.
