Specialists contain asbestos during school demolition

(CNS): The education ministry has confirmed that specialist contractors have been hired by government to deal with the asbestos inside an old school building on the John Gray High School Project site. Following concerns raised by parents and people living in the community around the building, which had been home to the CIFEC campus, where the asbestos was identified and demolition work began this week officials said, it was being undertaken, “in strict accordance with an agreed method statement approved by DEH.”

The Vertex Companies LLC, which the ministry said was a leading provider of environmental consulting, industrial hygiene, and remediation services, has been retained by the contractor to manage the remediation process.

Exposure to asbestos and the dust can cause asbestosis, cancer and mesothelioma. The work has also begun during lung-cancer awareness month. But officials said that there was no danger that dust would be released into the area.

“Based on the approved method statement, which outlines safe handling, delivery and disposal of waste, there is no potential danger of asbestos dust in the area,” a ministry spokesperson told CNS following our inquiries and explained the details of the asbestos abatement work.

The plan includes a fully sealed work space during the removal of asbestos, the placement of asbestos abatement material into double sealed bags, cleaning of the work area with a Hepa vacuum and wet cleanup, air monitoring and disposal of sealed debris in designated areas at the landfill.

Air monitoring will also occur during and after the asbestos removal work to document the successful removal of asbestos containing materials. Sampling will also be performed in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requirements and will consist of Phase Contrast Microscopy analysis of air samples.

The asbestos was discovered during a pre-demolition inspection almost two years ago but was considered safe until the material was disturbed when the demolition started. The facility is being demolished as part of the redevelopment of the John Gray High School campus and the broader government school estates off Walkers Road.