Asbestos found in wall of former Albion Middle School
Total of $121,000 allocated to fund abatement
Asbestos was found in a wall of the former Albion Middle School during razing of the Webster Road building. Funds in the amount of $121,000 have been allocated to pay for special demolition and removal. Photo by TERRY BRLAS
STRONGSVILLE – The demolition of the former Albion Middle School on Webster Road has been ongoing for a number of weeks. While the razing project has been on schedule, a recent discovery has raised the cost of clearing the building.
Asbestos was discovered in one of the exterior walls of the former educational building. A total of $121,000 has been allocated and transferred from the high school construction renovation fund to the Albion Middle School Demolition/Abatement fund to pay for the clean-up.
“The entire exterior wall needs special demolition and removal,” said district Treasurer George Anagnostou.
Albion Middle School was built in 1968. The last students to be taught in the building left at the end of the 2015-16 school year.
If a school was built before the 1980s, it’s likely that it contains some form of asbestos. About half of all schools in the U.S. were built from 1950 to 1969, when asbestos materials were highly prevalent in construction.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos-containing materials reside in many of the approximately 132,000 primary and secondary schools in the nation. These schools serve more than 55 million children, and are the worksites for more than 7 million teachers, administrators and support staff.
While the occupations at highest risk for asbestos exposure have historically been miners, construction workers and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, teachers are more likely to be exposed than many other occupations that don’t directly involve asbestos.
The elementary and secondary schools industry ranked second for mesothelioma deaths in 1999, according to National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data on reported causes of death. Construction topped the list with 77 deaths, and teachers followed with 38 deaths.
More teachers died of mesothelioma that year than workers in other industries known for frequent asbestos exposure risks, including industrial chemicals, railroads and electric light and power.
As long as asbestos building materials remain in good condition, the EPA insists they pose minimal health risks and recommends schools leave them in place. But if negligent maintenance work or improper abatement procedures occur, otherwise harmless asbestos products can cause serious exposures.
The Strongsville City School District plans to keep the property in case it might be needed for a future school building, should enrollment dictate.
Asbestos was discovered in one of the exterior walls of the former educational building. A total of $121,000 has been allocated and transferred from the high school construction renovation fund to the Albion Middle School Demolition/Abatement fund to pay for the clean-up.
“The entire exterior wall needs special demolition and removal,” said district Treasurer George Anagnostou.
Albion Middle School was built in 1968. The last students to be taught in the building left at the end of the 2015-16 school year.
If a school was built before the 1980s, it’s likely that it contains some form of asbestos. About half of all schools in the U.S. were built from 1950 to 1969, when asbestos materials were highly prevalent in construction.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos-containing materials reside in many of the approximately 132,000 primary and secondary schools in the nation. These schools serve more than 55 million children, and are the worksites for more than 7 million teachers, administrators and support staff.
While the occupations at highest risk for asbestos exposure have historically been miners, construction workers and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, teachers are more likely to be exposed than many other occupations that don’t directly involve asbestos.
The elementary and secondary schools industry ranked second for mesothelioma deaths in 1999, according to National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data on reported causes of death. Construction topped the list with 77 deaths, and teachers followed with 38 deaths.
More teachers died of mesothelioma that year than workers in other industries known for frequent asbestos exposure risks, including industrial chemicals, railroads and electric light and power.
As long as asbestos building materials remain in good condition, the EPA insists they pose minimal health risks and recommends schools leave them in place. But if negligent maintenance work or improper abatement procedures occur, otherwise harmless asbestos products can cause serious exposures.
The Strongsville City School District plans to keep the property in case it might be needed for a future school building, should enrollment dictate.