November 29th, 2007

Asbestos that was found as an old Michigan middle school was being prepared for demolition will not increase the timeline by about one year. The removal of the asbestos will also increase the proposed budget by as much as $2 million.

A middle school demolition that was to take place this summer has been postponed due to large amounts of asbestos found in the old building. The razing was supposed to use up the last $500,000 existing in a bond issued in 2003 for school repairs in a small Michigan town. Now, the asbestos removal will push the budget up by millions of dollars, soaking up funds that were allotted for other school projects in the area like replacing old boilers. Initial school documents said that there were only small amounts of asbestos present in the building.

Asbestos removal is a costly business, mostly due to the caution that needs to be in place during and after the procedure. Abatement, as asbestos removal is called, needs to be conducted by licensed professionals that can safely handle and dispose of the deadly material. Disturbed asbestos can break apart into tiny fiber; inhaling the fibers can lead to asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer. Mesothelioma can take decades to manifest, and there is no known treatment for the disease.