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Asbestos found at high school
Friday August 29 2008
By RICHARD VIVIAN Banner Staff Writer
 
Workers located and removed asbestos from Orangeville District secondary school over the summer, as part of a “massive” upgrading project.
“They knew they were going to find asbestos in some places,” says Maggie McFadzen, communications officer for the Upper Grand District School Board. “They were removing it as it needed to be removed.”
She says she’s unsure of how much of the potentially dangerous material was taken out of the school, telling The Banner she was unable to reach the project manager by press time.
“It’s not as if they went through the whole building and said there’s asbestos everywhere. They’re only working in some parts of the building,” McFadzen states, adding it was removed early in the project, which started at the onset of summer.
The school is in the midst of a revitalization project designed to improve air quality and energy efficiency. Some of the work completed this summer required getting into ceilings and such — a new ventilation system is part of the project — where the asbestos was found, McFadzen says.
Scott Hutchinson, who manages the health protection division of Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, says he’s unaware of what’s happening at the school.
“Because there are no students at the school, it’s not really a public health matter,” he says, noting trained professionals are needed to remove and dispose of asbestos.
The fibrous substance poses no hazard if left undisturbed, Hutchinson adds. “Once it becomes airborne, then it becomes a hazard.”
There was one such scare at the high school, McFadzen acknowledges. A possible disturbance was reported on Aug. 13.
“When that happens, everyone has to get off the site and you have to come in and do all the air testing,” she says, noting testing was done later that day. “The testing showed that the levels were below the legal limits, certainly, and equal to what is naturally in the atmosphere.”
Both construction and administrative workers returned to the school the next day, McFadzen says.
The goal of the renovations is to “make it a much nicer atmosphere to go to school in,” she notes. “This is quite a massive project. It certainly will do a lot for ... the air in the school, the ventilation and that kind of thing.
“It’s been a long-time coming.”
Built in phases between 1950 and 1967, many of the school’s systems are original and obsolete, having undergone patchwork fixes through the years. As a result, air quality throughout the school isn’t consistent and electrical systems don’t meet today’s safety codes.
A school audit conducted last year shows $1 million in work that must be done, $2 million in work that should be done and $500,000 worth of desirable upgrades.
In total, 47 items were identified, including electrical panel upgrades, gas metre consolation and repair piping, and kitchen exhaust work.
While the project began at the beginning of summer, it won’t be completed in time for returning students next week.
“There will not be access to some parts of the school at certain times. Then the work will be done and they can use those areas and they’ll close off other areas,” the communications officer says. “They’ve got a whole program and plan on how they’re going to do that.”
Information about the construction project will be sent home with students on the first day, she adds.