SEMO: Asbestos work poses no risk

Signs posted last week in Southeast Missouri State University's Magill Hall warning of the danger of asbestos don't mean an actual danger to health exists in the building, university officials say.

Removal of asbestos-containing materials was performed over the summer and continues in the building, which houses classrooms and laboratories for science students. The work is part of a nearly $18 million renovation and construction project that will continue into 2013. Faculty offices and several class meetings have been moved to adjoining buildings to accommodate the work, while some continue to meet in the building.

Dr. Walt Lilly teaches biology at the university and oversaw the remediation of radioactive material from the building over the summer as well as removal of ceiling materials containing asbestos.

Lilly said the asbestos removal work performed over the summer required workers to wear full protection, including respiratory masks. Work being performed now is minimal and does not require as many precautions, he said.

Workers are now removing asbestos-containing glue used to attach blackboards to walls and linoleum floor tiles thought to also contain the material. Lilly said the work does not create dust or airborne particles that could be inhaled and cause health problems.

"It's difficult to communicate how low level the risk is even when the work is being done properly," he said.

According to Angela Meyer, director of facilities management, asbestos removal is often performed in buildings across campus while faculty work and classes are in session, and poses no health risks.

However, the safety of the removal entered the conversation at last week's Department of Agriculture faculty meeting, said Dr. Michael Aide, chairman of the department. Aide said he believed the concern came from a misconception that all work to remove asbestos-containing materials in the building was completed over the summer. Signs posted during the week at entrances to work areas caused some alarm.

"The great concern turned out to be due to absence of knowledge," Aide said.

Facilities management staff have since addressed the concerns of the faculty who are teaching classes in the building by informing them that signs posted are a requirement and of the procedures used to remove asbestos, he said.

Required by law

In an email sent last Tuesday to faculty in the university's science departments, project manager Lisa Howe wrote that the signs stating "Danger" are required by law and are intended to keep people out and not to scare them. She also wrote that a Missouri Department of Natural Resources representative had been on the site and would likely return within the week. The department and the contractor communicate regularly, she wrote, and the contractor has much experience in asbestos removal and is familiar with state laws.

According to Bill Holland, vice president of university advancement, reports by consultants measuring levels of asbestos present in the air last week show a safe environment in the building.

Inhalation of asbestos fibers have been shown to cause lung disease, including asbestosis, which causes tissue scarring and contributes to the development of several types of lung cancer. While the exact amount of asbestos exposure which causes disease is unknown and likely depends on a person's overall health, the U.S. Department of Health and Senior Services says those most at risk from asbestos are industrial workers who are exposed to the material over several years.

James Meyer, a junior majoring in physics and engineering who takes classes in Magill, said he was aware of the removal of asbestos but he was not concerned.

Since 2000, the university has been working under federal supervision to remove radioactive material that was discovered throughout the building, according to Dr. David Ritter, a chemistry professor at the university. Ritter said the material was spilled sometime during the 1970s. Over the years, it spread throughout the building by way of foot traffic and movement of furniture and other items, he said. Levels of radioactive material are not high enough now to cause harm, he said.

Dr. Prem Sobti, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Saint Francis Medical Center's Cape Medical Oncology, said that with correct control of airflow during asbestos removal, the risk of health problems is low.

Meyer said the university and the contractors performing the removal are doing everything to comply with state regulations.

"We would not do this if we did not believe it was safe," she said.

Meyer previously told the Southeast Missourian that buildings on campus that did or continue to contain asbestos are common due to the material being used often in construction before the realization that it was hazardous to health.

According to facilities management, the remainder of the removal work will be performed in six phases from now until September 2012, following continuing removal of radioactive material and coming before general contracting work.

eragan@semissourian.com

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