King Intermediate teacher, on the school closing early for winter break
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Asbestos concerns
shut school early
for holiday
Three more buildings at King
Intermediate turn up low levels
School officials have shut King Intermediate three days early for winter break after parents expressed concern over the effect of asbestos contamination on their children's health.
Also yesterday, low levels of asbestos were detected in three more school buildings.
The Kaneohe school had shut two buildings and a portable after renovations last month stirred up asbestos-laden dust that settled in classrooms where students and teachers were working.
"I'm happy that the school is closed down," said reading teacher Geraldine Best, who first alerted authorities to the possibility of contamination. "It brings some peace of mind and it takes the edge off. I think it was smart to safeguard the children."
Best became alarmed when she saw dust flying and workers wearing respirators outside her door Nov. 4 while she and her students were inside the classroom. Work was stopped that day.
Her building, known as Building I, was closed Nov. 10, as soon as test results confirmed the presence of asbestos, which had been disturbed while workers scraped and sanded the building's exterior.
Building G and a portable were evacuated Dec. 7 when separate tests indicated the presence of asbestos. Yesterday, test results came back showing lower levels of asbestos contamination in Buildings F, H and J.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance, but inhaling its tiny fibers can cause lung disease, including cancer, usually as a result of prolonged, heavy exposure over time. It can take from 15 to 40 years for symptoms to occur.
"We will be doing everything in our power to make things right, now and 30 years from now if that be the case," Lea Albert, complex area superintendent, said yesterday.
Parents and staff crowded a meeting at the library Monday evening, firing questions about how much asbestos children may have encountered at school and what would be done about it.
Unlike exposure to lead, which can be detected through a blood test, doctors cannot test for the presence of asbestos in individuals. Instead, those at high risk, such as factory or shipyard workers who have handled it directly, have their health monitored for years.
Dr. Russell Okoji, a toxicologist with AMEC Earth & Environmental, said the quantity and duration of asbestos exposure at King Intermediate was relatively small, and health problems from low, brief exposure are unlikely. Okoji also said the crysotile fibers detected at the school were the least dangerous type of asbestos.
In a letter to the school community yesterday, Albert promised to provide full details, including results of tests taken in classrooms, an asbestos fact sheet, details on cleanup methods and information on claims for out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Information will also be made available on how and where records of all asbestos-exposed students and employees will be stored in the event of health claims over the long term, she said.
The school held an assembly for students yesterday to tell them more about the situation. Both students and employees began their winter holiday today rather than Friday.
Over the Christmas vacation, the state Department of Accounting and General Services will monitor contractors testing all buildings and cleaning up any contamination to ensure the school is safe when classes resume Jan. 11.
King Intermediate has been undergoing renovations for more than a year, and the work was close to completion. The school has 830 students in seventh and eighth grades.
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