Fowler gets grant to remove asbestos from former school

FOWLER, Indiana - The Fowler Elementary school, closed since 2006, may be getting a new life thanks to a $25,000 grant. Both the Town of Fowler and the Fowler American Legion Post 57 have approached the school committee about purchasing the building. The main stumbling block remains the presence of asbestos in the building. The town would like to use the space where the Fowler school stands to build a new community center. The American Legion wants to move its offices and operations to the newer parts of the current building. Either option would require at least a partial demolition of the school building. According to federal law, though, that demolition can not happen before all asbestos containing materials are removed from the school. And that, says school Superintendent Steve Wittenaueur, is expensives. “$25,000 for asbestos removal is the first step,” he told reporters. “The next thing would be if the $400,000 grant for removal were approved.” Jud Barce, school corporation attorney, said that the $25,000 grant, awarded by the Indiana Finance Authority, will cover the cost of asbestos removal. The complete demolition of the school has been estimated at more than $400,000. The school will apply for the larger grant, also from the Indiana Finance Authority, in May. Federal law requires that asbestos be completely removed from any building before demolition because of the risks associated with airborne asbestos fibers. When asbestos is present in a material that is demolished, the resulting dust can contain very high concentrations of asbestos fibers. Those fibers, when inhaled or ingested, substantially increase the risk of developing a number of serious illnesses, including lung cancer, stomach cancer, pleural scarring and mesothelioma, a rare cancer that has no other known causes than exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was so widely used in building and construction until about 1980, that many experts believe that asbestos can be found in just about every public building that was built during those times. Because asbestos is acknowledged to be the best insulator and fireproofing agent known, it was often used in schools, office buildings, civic buildings and other buildings that were meant for use by the general public. Unfortunately, the very fiber that was supposed to protect the public from fire turned on us. Thousands of workers who used asbestos in their occupations have died of diseases like lung cancer and mesothelioma. Although most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in those with long-term, chronic exposure to asbestos in the construction, auto repair or another industry, there are also many cases of asbestos diagnosed in school teachers, and there are known cases where mesothelioma developed after only a brief exposure to asbestos many years earlier. School department officials say that they will not know the final cost of asbestos removal and demolition until they have made a decision as to the fate of the building. At that point, they will apply for the larger grant from the Indiana Finance Authority. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)