Posted on: Friday, December 10, 2004

EDITORIAL
Asbestos still emerges in unexpected places

Twice in the past month, buildings at King Intermediate School in Kane'ohe have been evacuated because of asbestos contamination. One might well ask why the contractors or school officials weren't aware of the asbestos, whose tiny particles can cause various forms of lung disease if released into the air and inhaled.

And there's a reasonable answer: The offending asbestos was on the outside of the buildings. While each DOE school is supposed to have a handbook that documents the location of interior asbestos, as part of an asbestos abatement program, outside areas are not part of that inventory.

In the case of King Intermediate, the asbestos was found in outside walls that were being scraped and sanded in preparation for painting. Tests were only conducted after a teacher raised concerns when she saw dust flying and workers wearing respirators.

The extent of exposure and health risk is unclear. But to the DOE's credit, tests have been conducted and public meetings have been held to discuss the test results and answer the community's questions.

Asbestos, a form of magnesium silicate used for insulation and fireproofing, was banned in the late 1970s. It poses no risk when bonded into finished products such as walls and tiles as long as it is not damaged or disturbed in such a way as to release fibers into the air.

Perhaps the lesson learned in the case of King Intermediate is that this insidious building material can show up in unexpected places. Thus, it would be prudent to conduct asbestos testing before exterior renovation work is done.

After all, teachers and students deserve to know where environmental hazards lurk on campus.