Construction works on a middle school in Montgomery County was interrupted as tiles containing asbestos were discovered buried at the worksite.
The asbestos tiles were the floor covering of the long-torn down Kensington Junior High School. Removal of potentially carcinogenic materials such as asbestos has been scheduled this week.
State inspectors are there in the worksite and they will keep checking whether the asbestos abatement job is being performed in compliance with the state safety laws, said Jay Apperson, a spokesperson representing the Maryland Environment Department.
It was 30 years back – in 1986 – that President Ronald Wilson Reagan signed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) into law in order to protect school students and staff members from the hazards of asbestos.
Alex Formuzis, the Vice President at the Environmental Working Group Action Fund, said asbestos is likely to be present in any school constructed prior to the 1980s. According to Formuzis, still there are many asbestos risks and they are not being addressed adequately by many states. He said all states are supposed to inspect school buildings regularly for the presence of the notorious carcinogen.
Barbara Levy Boxer, the junior Senator from California, had asked all the states last year for information regarding the presence of asbestos in their schools. However, 30 states, including Virginia and Maryland, entirely neglected that inquiry, Formuzis said.
According to the environmental organization, parents whose children are studying in school buildings constructed prior to the 1980s can know regarding the asbestos risk because under the AHERA, all schools are required to keep proper records of how the asbestos is inspected and managed.
Formuzis said parents should ask the schools for its asbestos action plan because all schools are supposed to provide it.
Asbestos
The term asbestos refers to a set of 6 naturally occurring silicate minerals. Asbestos, which is made up of numerous bundles of microscopic fibers, is a human carcinogen. When asbestos or products containing this mineral is disturbed, its fibers can become airborne and be inhaled very easily. Inhalation of asbestos fibers often causes diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer.
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Asbestos victims are entitled to substantial damages. The best way to ensure getting the highest possible compensation is to file an asbestos claim with the help of an experienced mesothelioma lawyer. Please call us at for a free legal consultation.
