Asbestos mesothelioma complaint filed at Holyoke High School

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an anonymous complaint that workers had uncovered high levels of asbestos while working on a renovation project at Holyoke High School in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
The project manager on site, however, has assured that testing was completed. He noted that regulations have been followed throughout the year, and that both the air and dust were tested.
School Superintendent Eduardo B. Carballo noted, “These are serious allegations...but I am assured by the manager of the project that they are going to check it out,” reports MassLive.com.
Additional tests have been planned in light of the complaint, and school officials have assured parents that students are safe.
If high levels of asbestos were released in the air, however, it would put those exposed at risk for contracting diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the most rare and aggressive form of diseases to arise from asbestos exposure--and affects the chest, heart and abdominal cavities.
Mesothelioma doctors struggle to diagnose patients early on with the disease, and find difficulty in treating patients. Palliative treatment options, such as chemo, may extend the life of a patient, but there is currently no known mesothelioma cure.
Company owner of Samsyd Window and Door Co., John Samysd, noted that one of his employees asked for caulk surrounding the high school’s windows to be tested for asbestos. Three of the four samples tests displayed high levels of asbestos.
Project designer for Forbes & Wheeler, Stephen W. Niec, said his firm had regularly tested the air and dust at the high school. However, Niec noted that, in light of the complaint, he would be returning to the high school to complete more tests.

Asbestos abatement to occur at Maryland schools prior to large renovation project

Many Washington County Public Schools will undergo improvements this summer, and it will reportedly cost more than $10.9 million for the list of Maryland schools to improve several sections of their buildings, according to the Herald Mail.
The majority of projects are expected to conclude this summer. However, two heating, ventilation and air conditioning projects, at Boonsboro Middle School and Emma K. Doub School for Integrate Arts & Technology, have been postponed until 2011.
Work at Funkstown School for Early Childhood Education will carry into the fall.
Asbestos abatement is set to occur at E. Russell Hicks Middle School, Emma K. Doub School for Integrated Arts & Technology, Smithsburg High School, Western Heights Middle School, Williamsport High School and Winter Street Elementary School.
The asbestos removal must occur before any further improvements or renovations may begin. When asbestos is disturbed, without first being properly removed, toxic particles are released into the air. When the asbestos particles are inhaled, those exposed are put at serious risk for contracting asbestosis, lung cancer, or even worse, mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive disease which affects nearly 3,000 Americans each year.
Symptoms of the disease lie dormant for several decades, and because of this, mesothelioma doctors struggle to diagnose patients with the disease early on. There is no mesothelioma cure.
Director of maintenance and operations, Mark J. Mills, noted that the school system is sharing the total projects’ cost. However, a few projects, such as window replacements, have other funding sources.