December 9th, 2004

Onslow County school officials have closed the auditorium at Jacksonville High School to the public after high levels of asbestos were found to be in the air. The auditorium, which houses fine arts, was undergoing a routine check, which is carried out on a six monthly basis, when the asbestos presence was detected.

It is thought that the area will be cleaned up within the next few weeks. Certainly, a thorough clean must be arranged in order to eliminate the asbestos in the air and meet with state requirements. Officials have stated that, although the clean up may be finished before Christmas, the auditorium will remain closed until students come back in January after the Christmas break. Officials also stated that there are no immediate risks for students or parents to worry about.

The asbestos issue was originally found in the piping at the auditorium, and an asbestos abatement project commenced on 13th November 2004. However, air quality tests after the work showed that the levels of asbestos in the air were elevated, hence the auditorium had to remain closed. A professional firm has been employed by officials to clean up asbestos traces, and the job is likely to cost around $150,000 according to officials.

Jeff Hudson, deputy superintendent of Onslow County Schools, stated: "Atlantic Environmental will go in and wipe down surfaces and vacuum to make sure there is no evidence of asbestos fibers, and then they will release the building back to us."