July 9th, 2007

Asbestos is set to be removed from a school in New Jersey. The local school board will be arranging removal of asbestos from the Aura School in the summer, and sealed bids to carry out the work are expected in from contractors towards the end of June.

The asbestos is in the tiling in the multi-purpose room of the school, and many of the tiles are in a bad state of repair, which increases the risk of airborne asbestos dust and fibers, which can lead to various health problems including a form of cancer through long-term or high-level exposure.

One school official stated that the asbestos from the tiling was not yet airborne, but he also stated: "This is not for aesthetics. This is for health and safety; that's why were doing it." Tiling from the whole floor, including the glue used on the tiles, will be removed as part of the project.

The project is to be funded through savings made over the course of the year on the school budget, as there is no specific budget allocated to carry out this repair work.