March 16th, 2006

An asbestos leak discovered at a Calumet Park school over a month ago has still not been rectified according to officials. The leak was discovered at the middle school some time ago, and officials are now launching an investigation into the potential hazard.

Notification of the asbestos leak was given on February 14th, and the asbestos was found after a water pipe in one of the main corridors leaked. The School District Superintendent stated that she did inform the State Board of Education as soon as she was notified of the leak.

A public health spokesperson expressed her concerns about the leak, stating that asbestos exposure can result in serious health effects such as lung problems and even cancer, and that it can take years for the actual effects of the exposure to become known.

It is reported that the licensed contractor that was initially brought in was too expensive and the board president refused to pay stating that the school would bring in its own contractor. However, it is also reported that this contractor failed to complete the work.