The Allendale School District in New Jersey will launch two major projects this summer that will be only partially funded by taxpayers. Hazardous asbestos will be removed from a crawl space in the Brookside School basement and the HVAC at the Hillside School all-purpose room will be replaced. According to the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA), the asbestos removal will be covered by a $69,530 state grant.
Asbestos is a toxic mineral that was commonly used in construction as recently as 25 years ago. It is often found in older school buildings and poses a health threat, as asbestos is known to cause such fatal illnesses as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body's major organs and cavities.
Asbestos is relatively safe as long as it is not disturbed, but even minor disruptions can cause the mineral to crack or crumble and release microscopic, carcinogenic fibers. Although the asbestos at Brookside school is in a crawlspace, the simple gust of wind generated by opening up the crawlspace can cause asbestos fibers to become airborne, contaminating the school and being inhaled by students and staff. These fibers lodge in the lungs and, after several decades, cause advanced pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that directly affects the lining of the lungs.
The district's architect, Environetics Group Architects, and its environmental company, Karl & Associates, have developed bid specifications for the asbestos removal project. The project is expected to go to bid around the beginning of March.
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