During labor negotiations, operations workers at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York brought attention to the fact that students and staff of the small liberal arts college may be exposed to asbestos on campus, the college’s newspaper, The Phoenix, reported.
The operations workers chose to remain anonymous but shared their concerns with The Phoenix regarding their ongoing battle to have the university survey the possible asbestos exposure on campus.
The operations said the potential for exposure was a “safety hazard,” and it needed to be addressed.
One operations worker told The Phoenix: “We were rounded in the boiler rooms and stuff and we wanted it removed. They told us there was no asbestos on campus and we told the lawyer that was BS.”
A biology professor on campus, Beth Ditkoff, told The Phoenix that asbestos exposure does present a true threat to the health and safety of individuals.
“Asbestos is a natural mineral product, which was used in the past in various construction materials such as insulation. Long-term exposure to asbestos can cause a serious lung condition called asbestosis – chronic scarring in the lungs leading to shortness of breath, cough and heart disease. The asbestosis can also damage the lining around the lungs leading to fluid buildup, difficulty breathing and intense pain,” Ditkoff stated.
Asbestos Exposure Could Lead To Cancer
In fact, over time, asbestos exposure can also lead to cancer. The two cancers most commonly associated with asbestos exposure include mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdomen, and lung cancer.
The operations workers at SLC said that air circulation of asbestos was a huge concern. “There are air handling units that we have to go in and turn valves and there is a specialist right near the valve and it’s getting sucked up into the blown out throughout the building,” the worker noted.
He said school officials had asbestos removed from that designated room, but it did not address all the rooms in the building where the asbestos exposure may have occurred through the vent system.
According to The Phoenix, the Cystic Vice President of Facilities, Maureen Gallagher, denied reports of harmful asbestos exposure. “There is not an asbestos problem on campus. Do you have asbestos containing materials (ACM) on campus? Yes. As you know, the campus is 90 years old with many buildings having been built in the early to mid-1900s.” She also said that due to public safety concerns, sometimes it is safer not to remove the asbestos.
“Having ACM in buildings when it’s not damaged or disturbed poses no risk for the occupants of the building and the well-being of all within our community is one of the highest priorities of the College” Gallagher stated. “In many instances, it is safer not to remove the asbestos if the area in which it is contained isn’t good, sound condition.”
The operations workers still continue to remain dubious of the safety of students and staff on campus given their intimate knowledge of the state of the building facilities, particularly the kitchens, dorms, offices, and classrooms. They continue to say that each time they bring up questions about asbestos exposure, the school has “swept it under the rug.”
Gallagher did, however, note that there are two asbestos abatement projects scheduled, one in West lands’ basement and another in Slonim.
She went on to state, “All of the work is contained in basements, boiler rooms, and some storage rooms. I can also share the College is continuing its work with consultants to survey various parts of campus, especially basement and boiler room areas, which will allow the College to formally identify any additional necessary abatement projects.”
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