Asbestos News

A school district in Lake Zurich, Illinois, is reportedly disputing claims that an elementary school in the district had violations in its plan to manage asbestos in the facility, the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

According to the news source, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued an $18,000 fine to May Whitney Elementary School, and a letter from the Department obtained by the news source indicates allegations of 18 counts of violations.

The district, however, is reportedly planning to challenge the state's claims about the violations, which included a failure to keep records about asbestos and failing to notify the Department prior to the removal of asbestos tiles in February 2011, according to the news source.

"We have responded to their notice and also requested a hearing," district spokeswoman Jean Malek told the news source. "We are awaiting a prehearing conference and any other response."

Officials with the school district had said that asbestos abatement had always been a priority, according to the news provider.

Ensuring asbestos is properly managed and removed is critical, as exposure to the carcinogenic substance has been proven to cause a range of serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer.