Asbestos News

Some parts of Pasco High School in Pasco, Washington, will be temporarily closed off while workers replace the facility's roof, which contains asbestos, according to the Tri-City Herald.

The news source reports that the roof of the school contains non-friable asbestos, meaning it is not as easily broken up or disturbed as friable asbestos. Still, the risk of exposure remains and workers were reportedly wearing ventilators and protective suits. In order to safely remove the material, it must be wetted and sent to a regulated landfill, according to the news provider.

Kim Marsh, director of capital projects for the school district, told the Herald that local residents should rest assured that workers are taking all necessary precautions to safely remove the asbestos roof.

"It can be a little unnerving to see people in white suits and respirators at a work site, and the natural response by most is to assume that some disaster has occurred," Kim Marsh, capital projects director for the district, explained. "In reality, (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations require that people working with asbestos wear respiratory and protective equipment."

Such precautions are critical as exposure to asbestos has been linked to the development of asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 2,500 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the U.S. each year.