Asbestos News

The Milford, Connecticut Board of Education is seeking $37.6 million for a five-year improvement plan, which is down from the $66.5 million requested last year, the New Haven Register reports.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Operations Philip G. Russell, the main reason for the decrease in cost is the fact that additional plans for major renovations at both high schools have been scrapped.

"We got 80 percent of what we really wanted with the high school additions," Russell told the news provider. "It will really help the curriculum in both schools."

The school board is reportedly asking for nearly $11 million from the city for work during the 2011-2012 school year, which would include $8.5 million for an addition and a media center project at East Shore Middle School, according to the news source.

An additional $1 million is being requested by the school board for lead and asbestos abatement work, the news provider said.

It is important that the asbestos is removed from the schools because exposure to the dangerous mineral has been proven to cause a range of deadly diseases, including malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.