An asbestos removal project slated as part of upcoming renovations to a Tennessee high school building is stirring controversy.

The issue is over $479,000 allocated to asbestos removal in the high school’s central office. Some community members are questioning why the money is being used to renovate the county’s central office when several schools in the area still have asbestos.

Mickey Hall, deputy director of Wilson County Schools, said the money for the project is tied to a bond that specifies the money be used for that purpose. Overall renovations are to cost about $14.5 million.

The renovated building will contain an adult high school, a director’s office, conference and training areas, storage, and a board meeting room. Before the renovations begin a team must come in to complete the asbestos removal.

Hall said that both state and federal laws require any asbestos found in a building to be removed prior to the start of any construction or remodeling. This is required in order to protect the welfare of the workers.

The deputy director nine schools in the county were built with materials containing asbestos. These schools are monitored in accordance with state and federal regulations. Regulations mandate that these schools are monitored every six months.

The monitoring looks for friable or crumbling materials. Some of the schools still contain friable materials such as ceilings, tiles, and pipe insulation but the majority of the asbestos containing materials are not friable or hazardous unless they are disturbed by renovation activities. Hall said that the asbestos in the school buildings has been thoroughly studied and is not harmful to the students or faculty.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring toxic mineral that was prevalent in building materials prior to 1977. Asbestos exposure has been linked to several serious forms of cancer such as asbestos lung cancer. Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. Nearly 200,000 people are diagnosed with cancer annually.

Certain occupations put individuals at a higher risk of asbestos exposure. These occupations include construction, textile makers, insulation installers, shipyard workers, and auto mechanics.

Asbestos attorneys are looking for potential plaintiffs to bring asbestos lung cancer lawsuits. Some of the companies that are being investigated for causing asbestos exposure include Arco, Caterpillar Tractor Co, Duke Power Co., and Dupont Chemical.

Billions of dollars have been paid to plaintiffs who brought asbestos lawsuits. The decision to bring a lawsuit is one that should be made after a potential plaintiff has weighed all the facts and sought the advice of a legal professional. A potential plaintiff may have the opportunity to bring the lawsuit individually or as a member in a class action lawsuit.