NJ School Removes Asbestos While in Session

October 11, 2006 - Parents at a Union City, NJ elementary school are up in arms about the removal of asbestos materials from the school’s boiler room during school hours.

The parents of the children who attend Robert Waters School first learned about the situation on Tuesday when they arrived at school with their kids to find notes posted on the doors alluding to the abatement process.  Those who didn’t bring their children to school heard from other concerned parents.

School board officials told The Jersey Journal that the asbestos has to be removed to fix two broken boilers in the basement. 

“Chrysotile asbestos insulation needs to be removed from two boilers before cracked and leaking pipes can be repaired,” said Michael Krupa, a senior project scientist with the state-authorized PMK Group, the company performing the abatement.

Krupa and others maintained that the area around the boilers is sealed off with plastic, as is standard practice when completing such a project.  The plastic is present to stop any airborne fibers from escaping the area and circulating in other parts of the school building.

Krupa also noted that three additional barriers were placed in entranceways to occupied areas and that any contaminated air in the work area is then expelled outside after being cleaned through a HEPA filter.  The air quality is being monitored every four hours, he added.

Nonetheless, parents weren’t pleased about the situation.  "They should let us know what is going on, but I hadn't heard anything about it," said Silvana Bejar, whose 9-year-old son attends the school.