Asbestos problems in south bay, san diego schools

June 13, 2008 â€" One South Bay school district has spent thousands cleaning up asbestos, but for one long-time school district maintenance worker, that’s not enough. George Gerber claims that asbestos is still a problem in several district schools. Gerber works in maintenance at the Sweetwater Union High School District and has been employed there for seventeen years. Recently he reported to a San Diego news team that almost all of the schools in the district contain asbestos, and says he’s concerned about possible exposure risks for students and staff members. Gerber also claims that he has repeatedly tried to get the school district to pay attention to his concerns, and has been repeatedly ignored or brushed off. Gerber says, “There are areas and rooms that I’ve been reporting for extended period of time that’s almost gone on in 2 years that haven’t been addressed.” The news team’s recent report on the problem initiated action from National City Vice Mayor Frank Parra, who is concerned because three National City schools are part of the Sweetwater Union High School District. Parra says of the issue, “We’re always an advocate for our citizens, our children.” Parra wrote in a recent letter to school district Superintendent Dr. Jesus Gandara, “… it has been brought to our attention that public health concerns have been raised that relate to asbestos…” and asks that the school district “… educate us on the mitigation efforts of the District as well as the School Asbestos Management Plan.” To deal with asbestos in schools, the EPA requires that all schools that contain asbestos maintain a management plan that details the location of asbestos, its condition, and the measures taken to prevent exposure. In schools where asbestos is present, parents and school employees can request to see a copy of the asbestos management plan at any time. Since 2000, National City and South Bay has approved a total of eight million dollars’ worth of expenditure for cleaning up asbestos in schools. However, seventeen district schools still contain some asbestos. One major problem is simply that asbestos remediation is expensive. Due to the health risks involved in asbestos exposure, there are several laws and requirements that control how asbestos-containing materials and buildings must be handled. These requirements tend to significantly increase the costs of any renovation or demolition involving asbestos. Asbestos must be treated with extreme caution, and special procedures must be used when handling or removing the substance. This often means tight school budgets are stretched even further by the need to hire licensed asbestos contractors. Another issue is that disposal of asbestos-containing construction waste is up to three times more expensive than disposal of non-hazardous waste. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)