Albemarle County is dealing with asbestos in six of its schools this summer, in addition to some major construction at one of their elementary schools.
Henley Middle School, Jack Jouett Middle School, Walton Middle School, Albemarle and Western Albemarle high schools, and Scottsville Elementary School are on the list for asbestos removal. In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act requiring schools to inspect and manage the asbestos in their buildings.
The big risk is when asbestos gets airborne or friable. Two common sources are the insulation around pipes and old floor tiles, and they can either be sealed or removed.
The asbestos removal is one portion of a series of maintenance improvements taking place at several schools, with the most significant changes happening at Greer Elementary School. Albemarle County is adding new classrooms, including an outdoor one, as well as a courtyard at Greer.
In terms of maintenance, the school system wants to reassure the reason its removing the asbestos is not because it's harmful.
Building engineer Joe Letteri says they are removing it because funds are available and they want to reduce their Asbestos Management Plan.
Letteri said, "The flooring itself is a non-friable asbestos we are doing it not because we are mandated to do it but because we are trying to eliminate it from the schools to reduce our asbestos management plan."
Other initiatives include a water conservation audit to identify areas to reduce costs. The school system says the construction and maintenance projects are on-budget and on-time.
