Parents of students attending Indian Hills Junior High School in Des Moines, Iowa are up in arms about the school board's failure to inform them of asbestos abatement procedures at the school over the midwinter break.
The abatement project first came to the public's attention when a parent of two students sent them back to school to get books and other items from their lockers over the holidays.
They were turned away by a janitor, who told them no one was allowed in the building. The parent later contacted administrative officials, who informed her that notice of the abatement procedure had been posted on the school's website prior to the break. Consequently, the officials felt there was no need to send an identical notice home with students.
The website notice states that the school will be "totally closed and unaccessable to the public during Winter Break, December 20, 2008 to January 4, 2008, Spring Break, March 13, 2009 to March 22, 2009, and Summer Break, June 2, 2009 through June 10, 2009". The notice also identifies the closures and abatement procedures as preparation for renovations that will be taking place at Indian Hills in the summer of 2009.
The parent, Kristin Johnson, expressed concern over potential health risks to her children. Other parents have stated similar concerns. Administrators defend their position by pointing out that the asbestos remediation project is being conducted when no children are present, thus eliminating any health hazard. However, without adequate oversight - or at least public oversight - parents remain less than reassured.
Asbestos, commonly used in insulation - particularly pipe and heating duct insulation, as well as floor and roofing tiles and tile cement, was used until the 1970s and then banned when health officials first began to recognize the dangers.
Asbestos, when disturbed, releases tiny fibers that, inhaled into the lungs, can irritate lung tissue, leading to persistent inflammatory lesions. These lesions can, in turn, cause a specific form of cancer called mesothelioma, which health experts call a "ticking time bomb". It takes from two to five decades for the symptoms of mesothelioma to show up, but once diagnosed it usually leads to death within two years. Asbestos exposure as low as 2 parts-per-million (ppm) can trigger lesions, and asbestos is most dangerous during removal, when the fibers are released by inadvertently breaking or tearing asbestos-containing materials.
Indian Hills parents are right to be concerned, and the apparent secrecy of school officials is in surprising contrast to the Valley High School asbestos abatement project in 2006, where officials met with parents to obtain input on the process.
During that project, the school board opted for what some considered extreme removal precautions, which were more expensive but safer for students and staff. Reportedly, the same measures are being taken at Indian Hills, where the abatement project represents less than a third of the material removed from the high school. The total cost of the Indian Hills project is estimated at $52,000.
One significant difference between costs is that the Valley High project was ongoing during the school year, requiring extra precautions, while the Indian Hills project only takes place when students are on break.
The second phase of the asbestos removal will commence March 13, and run until March 22. The renovation is scheduled for mid-June.
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