Naturally-Occurring Asbestos Slows School Construction
Naturally-occurring asbestos will need to be removed from the site of a new Napa Valley high school before construction can commence, report school officials with the Napa Valley Unified School District.
According to an article in the Napa Valley Register, there is hope that the clean-up will be completed in a reasonable amount of time and not delay the building of the $123 million high school, scheduled to open in the fall of 2010.
“The mineral comes from serpentine rock commonly found in northern California,” explained Don Evans, director of school planning and construction for the NVUSD. Removal of asbestos is a common occurrence when building in this portion of the state, officials said.
About 1,800 cubic yards of the gravel-like material that contains the naturally-occurring asbestos will be stockpiled temporarily on an adjacent site where the district plans to build a middle school, said Evans, who assured residents and others nearby that the Department of Toxic Substances Control will closely monitor the process to be sure no asbestos dust is spread. Plans will then be made to permanently dispose of the material.
District officials told concerned parents that they were not aware of the presence of naturally-occurring asbestos when the purchased the land and designated it for the high school and middle school. The asbestos was found about a year ago.
