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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 12, 2005

School declared free of asbestos

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KANE'OHE — A month after King Intermediate closed early for winter break because of asbestos contamination on the exterior of classroom buildings, school officials said the campus is free of the potentially cancer-causing material and students can return to classes tomorrow.

Officials received the result of a final test yesterday afternoon on a janitor's supply room and it was declared clean, said Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen.

"The testing is done and no asbestos has been detected," Knudsen said. "All buildings and all classrooms are safe for reoccupation."

Asbestos was discovered in November while workers were sanding the exterior of two buildings to get them ready for painting. The buildings were closed, but the material was found in three more buildings last month.

Test results then showed a higher-than-normal asbestos level in one building and very small levels in two other buildings.

The campus had been waiting for the final report on the single room, Knudsen said, adding that all other test results had been received by the beginning of the week. School could have opened sooner but the campus wanted to have final information to be able to tell the students and parents the results of all the tests.

"We didn't want students to come back until we could make a declaration for the entire campus," Knudsen said.

The Education Department is waiting for a final report from Kimura International that is expected to explain the test results, he said, adding that aggressive tests of the air in classrooms were conducted using leaf blowers and fans to stir the air.

Although students missed a total of five days of school, no extra days will be added to the school calendar, Knudsen said. Students may have to make up some of the work from the last semester, which ended before the winter break, but that will be handled by the teachers, he said, noting that students will have more time to make up the lost days from this new semester.

"We hope they work extra hard in the remaining weeks," Knudsen said.