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Asbestos finds increase costs as Chisholm Elementary is deconstructed, district says
Summary
During deconstruction of Chisholm Elementary, contractors found more asbestos than initial tests showed; the district is awaiting final abatement bids and said asbestos is in mastics and floor/pipe materials, not in bricks that could be sold safely.
District officials told the board that asbestos testing and abatement work at the Chisholm Elementary has revealed larger amounts of asbestos than initial sampling indicated, and that the district expects substantial abatement costs.
Administrators said abatement crews use heat guns, core samples and other means to locate hazardous materials. “As they’ve started to deconstruct the building and take care of the abatement... they are finding a pretty substantial increase in the amount of asbestos that they did not believe was there,” an administrator said. The district said preliminary work indicates asbestos is typically in mastic associated with floors and in wrapped pipe insulation rather than in the building’s bricks, and that safe brick material could be sold.
IEA is the contractor charged with locating asbestos in the elementary; InGensa is the major project contractor and has subcontracted asbestos location to IEA. The district said InGensa is not performing abatement work and does not have the specialized equipment to remove asbestos.
The board was told a final, complete bid for abatement has not yet been received; administrators warned the final dollar amount could be substantial and will be reflected in future budget discussions.
The district emphasized it will not sell any materials that are unsafe and will work with contractors and legal counsel to finalize abatement plans and costs before any community sale of remnants.
Next steps: the administration will provide final abatement bids when available and update the board on cost and schedule implications for the elementary deconstruction project.
