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Consultant: carpet mastic below 1% asbestos; district to use wet removal and awareness training
Summary
An environmental consultant told the board the tested carpet mastic contained less than 1% asbestos, placing it under OSHA work‑practice rules rather than AHERA regulation; the board and public discussed monitoring, contractor training and timing for removal.
The Boquet Valley Central School District heard a presentation from an environmental consultant about planned carpet removal and the potential presence of asbestos in underlying floor tiles. Aaron Roth of CAST said laboratory tests showed the carpet mastic contained "less than 1%" asbestos, and that New York and AHERA rules regulate materials with greater than 1% asbestos content.
Roth told the board that, because the tested mastic is below the 1% threshold, the regulatory focus is on worker protection and work practices under OSHA rather than AHERA‑mandated abatement procedures. "So the carpet mastic tested out is having less than 1% asbestos," he said, adding that best practices include avoiding grinding or dry sanding, pulling back carpet and, if tile lifts, laying it back down and isolating the area.
Board members and members of the public asked whether air sampling or third‑party monitoring would be conducted. Roth said his firm can collect air samples if the district wants, but that air sampling is not required in non‑friable removal scenarios; he recommended asbestos‑awareness training for workers and damp cleanup methods to minimize dust. A public commenter urged caution about costs, noting potential duplication of expense if underlying tile is later removed in a future capital project.
Next steps: the district will plan removal work outside high‑occupancy periods where possible, consider asbestos‑awareness training for contractors and can request air sampling or third‑party oversight if desired.
