Residents Upset Over Asbestos Dust

Article Added November 15th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

Demolition kicked up more than just dust at a Tracy High School building. After the old building was leveled, some residents are concerned that the site was not hosed down in order to control asbestos dust.

The west building of Tracy High School had to come down. It was unsound, and costing more money than it was worth. Demolition was completed to make way for a new two-story building, supplying 40 new classrooms for the students. But some parents are upset, not over the new building, but by how the demolition of the old building was carried out. As the building came down, the dust from the demolition was not hosed down, a standard procedure when a building contains asbestos.

When asbestos is removed, or a building containing asbestos is demolished, the area is normally hosed down at intervals to make sure the dust does not leave the area. This step was not done during the demolition, and parents are concerned that there is a possibility that asbestos dust was released into the school, affecting the students there. School officials maintain that there was no danger, and that the work was strictly supervised as it was completed.

Article Added November 15th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story