A gas leak last spring and flooding discovered in late December forced the Natrona County School District to change its schedule for asbestos removal at Midwest School, but officials say the work will be done this summer and won't be delayed the reopening of the school.
The district had originally planned to remove some of the asbestos from the building, in a process known as abatement, last summer. But in late May, students and staff detected an odor in the Midwest that forced the evacuation. Subsequent tests revealed high levels of carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and the school was closed indefinitely.
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A state report released last year found that students and staff had headaches, sore throats and other symptoms before school closed. The report said these symptoms were likely caused by the gas leak.
After the school closed, the asbestos removal project was postponed, said Dennis Bay, executive director of business services for the Natrona County School District. The district had planned to first remove asbestos from Midwest's kitchen and cafeteria. Asbestos removal from the floor tiles in the high school wing of the building was likely to be done later, he said.
But after a pipe burst and caused about $250,000 in damage to the school's high school wing in December, the district found it would have to replace tile in that area of the building. So the officials decided to remove the asbestos tiles, folding this project with the reduction of the kitchen and cafeteria.
On Monday night, the district's school board approved a Cheyenne contractor's bid to do the work. The removal process will cost more than $26,000 and will be paid for through state funds, Bay said.
Contractors are currently installing a radon-like mitigation system that will take air from below the school and vent it into the atmosphere above the building. The system should prevent future gas leaks, officials said. After the system is installed, officials will test the air inside the Midwest to make sure it's safe.
The system is paid for by FDL Energy, which operates the Salt Creek oil field, which circles the Midwest. Bay said the mitigation facility is going “very well.”
If tests show the air inside the Midwest is clean enough, asbestos removal will begin in early June and be completed in time for school to open next fall. Bay said custodians and faculty will be able to use parts of the building that are not part of the abatement process.
The abatement process involves the contractor using plastic to create a containment area, Bay said. Workers will put on protective gear and begin removing the asbestos.
Asbestos is a natural fibrous substance often used in construction. However, asbestos can pose health risks to people exposed to it. For example, it can cause mesothelioma. The use of asbestos has been banned in some cases and has been widely restricted in most construction.
Bay said Midwest was built in the 1950s and additional sections of the school have been built in recent years. Without consulting the district's records for Midwest, he could not say whether asbestos was present elsewhere in the building.
Follow education reporter Seth Klamann on Twitter @SethKlamann
