Parents Were Not Informed About Asbestos Found at Chapel Hill High School

Parents of Chapel Hill High School students are outraged when school officials failed to properly notify them when asbestos floor tiles were discovered in one of the classrooms. Some parents learned of the asbestos contamination after photos of a sealed classroom circulated throughout the student body. What horrifies parents of the North Carolina high school students is that a sign posted on one of the sealed classrooms warns of the dangers of asbestos exposure and contamination.

Though results from indoor air quality tests point to no significant threat to the health of the students or faculty, the presence of asbestos in the high school is a growing concern. What the results from the indoor air quality tests mean is that the asbestos floor tiles and any other asbestos-containing products that are in the school buildings are in good shape and are not falling apart. Asbestos abatement or removal is currently underway at the high school, and is only conducted when students and faculty are not in the buildings. Most abatement work is done over the weekends.

Asbestos is not one type of material nor is it manmade; in fact, "asbestos" refers to a group of naturally-occurring minerals. Though usage of asbestos has been banned for decades, products – especially building and plumbing materials – that contain asbestos are prevalent. Considered as dangerous and as potentially lethal as exposure to cigarette smoke, asbestos exposure can cause a litany of health issues including lung cancer, asbestos and mesothelioma cancer.

Built in 1966, Chapel Hill High School is starting to show significant signs of deterioration. Before the asbestos scare, parents were informed that mold was found in the high school's library. School officials recognize the declining state of Chapel Hill High School, and not that it would take a considerable financial investment to maintain the facilities. To repair the aging building, it would cost the school district between $10 and $19 million dollars. For one of the more decrepit high school buildings, it would cost the school district $47 million to tear it down.

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