Aurora, Colorado area schools are preparing a mass asbestos removal project prior to beginning renovations in several aging buildings.

The asbestos is scheduled to be removed during Spring Break with construction commencing over the summer, school officials stated.

According the the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos is commonly found in older buildings and presents as a health hazard when damaged or disturbed, causing the toxic fibers to become airborne.  Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Network Claire Barnett said encountering hazards “just comes with old infrastructure.”

Barnett also stated that the school districts should keep the surrounding community abreast of the construction process and the measures in place to protect students, staff and workers from asbestos exposure during construction.

School officials shared that the massive renovation totaling nearly $155 million includes several classroom additions and the installation of new heating and cooling systems. As part of the construction, the West Aurora school board approved the removal of asbestos in four school districts. East Aurora is still in the planning and testing phases.

Ceiling tiles, vinyl floor covering and the duct work for heating and cooling systems all may contain the toxic material. The school district said that they conduct inspections regularly to ensure the asbestos is not airborne or poses a risk.

In 2014, the school district made room in its budget to have asbestos-containing materials removed from 25 elementary and middle school classrooms. This year, the district reports the toxic material will be removed from 15 classrooms.

Exposure Risks in U.S. Schools

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.

As long as asbestos 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 materials can cause serious exposures.

On March 31, 2015, Sens. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) wrote to all 50 governors asking for detailed information on asbestos management plans at each state’s schools. They noted that almost 30 years after Congress enacted the 1986 Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act in an effort to protect students, teachers and other employees, “the extent of asbestos hazards remaining in schools across the nation is largely unknown.”

Asbestos Lung Cancer

Asbestos in schools poses a significant health threat. Once the toxic fibers are inhaled, they can become lodged in lung tissue or in the pleural lining leading to lung cancer or mesothelioma, a cancer in the tissue surrounding the lungs. An estimated 4,800 deaths a year are linked to lung cancer, with asbestos exposure being the primary cause and risk factor for this illness.