A student journalist and teacher published a story April 17, 2009 in an Indiana high school newspaper, reporting that samples collected from a science classroom indicated the presence of asbestos.
Published in Central High School’s student newspaper, the story, titled “Questions persist over air quality,” prompted administrators to contact students and parents stating that the student and teacher were “involved in the unauthorized disturbance of the encapsulated asbestos.”
“Two classrooms were involved in the unauthorized sampling of encapsulated asbestos,” stated Central High School Principal Christopher Smith. “As a safety precaution, the two classrooms have been closed until independent asbestos contractors can be retained to clean the classrooms and to encapsulate asbestos where needed.”
Lon Sloan, director of facilities, said the presence of asbestos in the high school is not a secret. Though several asbestos abatement sessions were conducted in the past three years, along with additional abatements in the 1980s and 1990s, future asbestos abatements will be conducted at the school.
Sloan notes that the asbestos is “all encapsulated in safe areas, so there is no open asbestos.” Annually parents receive a letter informing them of the existence of asbestos in the school.
An editorial published in the newspaper on the same day as the controversial article stated the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) “should be invited to visit the school.” IDEM took samples in the roof entryway and the adhesive in the school, and results will be available within the week.
“IDEM has been here at least eight times over the last year or two and done surprise inspections, surprise samplings, and we passed every single one of them. We will continue to investigate and make sure we meet all federal and state regulations, make sure we comply with all those things they ask us to comply with,” said Smith.
Exposure to asbestos is dangerous as it can lead to the development of several asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer. Generally, the mesothelioma survival rate reported throughout the last five years has been 10 to 11 months following diagnosis.
Additional information about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.