Enfield high school facing $1.2 million asbestos removal project

ENFIELD, Connecticut â€" Recently reopened Enfield High School is slated for asbestos removal that may cost up to $1.2 million, according to a capital improvements request to the Enfield city council. The Board of Education will present a $2.2 million capital improvements proposal to the town council that includes $200,000 to be set aside and put toward the removal of asbestos at Enfield High School. That school recently suffered a water main break that closed the school for several days after flooding released asbestos into the school. Asbestos is a hazardous substance that was widely used in construction until about 1980. Because it was believed to be the best fireproofing material available, asbestos was the material of choice in public buildings like schools where safety was a high priority. Unfortunately, asbestos was also a deadly carcinogen, something that the makers of fireproofing and construction materials knew for years. Exposure to airborne asbestos is the only known cause of a rare but incurable cancer of the organ linings, mesothelioma. It’s estimated that there are close to 750,000 schools nationwide that contain asbestos, a problem that is coming to national attention as those buildings age and the materials containing asbestos begin to deteriorate. Asbestos is not a hazard as long as it is contained or fixed. It is only when the materials that contain asbestos are deteriorated or disturbed that tiny fibers of asbestos are released into the air where they can be inhaled or swallowed, and become a health hazard. The budget request comes on the heels of an announcement by Connecticut Governor Jodi M. Rell of the release of $5 million in state funds from a grant from the Department of Energy Management and Homeland Security. A total of $549,849 is slated to be awarded to the three Enfield schools for enhanced security. That figure is more than two-thirds the total security funding requested by the Enfield school systems. In addition to the security improvements that will be made at the three schools, the School Department budget includes requests for - $200,000 to replace the boiler at the John F. Kennedy Middle School - $400,000 to replace the windows and roofs at Eli Whitney Elementary School - $400,000 to install handicapped accessible press boxes at Fermi and Enfield high schools - $200,000 to remove asbestos at Enfield High School. The actual estimate for the Enfield High School asbestos removal project is $1.2 million. The $200,000 will help bring the school system closer to the estimated costs. The School Department will present the budget to the Town Council for approval in March. Enfield High School Students will make up an extra five days at the end of the year to accommodate the days that they were out of school because of the flooding and asbestos release at the school. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)