Educators at two Orange County, California high schools feel that the sloppy removal of asbestos from their respective buildings has put teachers, students, and staff at the school in danger of developing serious respiratory problems.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, faculty at Troy and La Habra High Schools, both part of the Fullerton Joint Union School District, believe the school board “did not adequately protect students and teachers from dust that may contain asbestos and lead-based paint,” and added that exposure to these substances has caused an increase in respiratory problems among those who inhabit the school on a daily basis. In one case, asbestos was removed while students and faculty were still in the building and no notification was given.

The article also cites an incident where a Troy High School teacher found five large plastic bags marked “danger” and “asbestos” left sitting near a system that circulates air throughout the school building. Officials say the bags were removed promptly when discovered but were unaware of how long they had been sitting in that location before being detected.

Dina Skrabalak, a Spanish teacher at Troy, said she developed asthma, chest pain and bronchitis during the renovation when dust circulated in the halls of the building in which she taught.

“My concern is that there was asbestos floating around while school was in session, with no signs posted for months at a time,” Skrabalak said. “I liken it to being trapped in a garage with solvents and chemicals you got at Home Depot.”

The district has been renovating its six four-year high schools. Work on the structures include replacing old plumbing and electric as well as removing asbestos and other hazardous materials from the buildings, most of which were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Federal guidelines require school districts to notify parents, teachers and employees, as well as the state air quality agency, of any plans for removing asbestos from school buildings, but that hasn’t always been the case, say the nearly 100 faculty members who recently signed a petition expressing concerns about health risks.

“Any time you have asbestos removed or disturbed, you have an air quality problem and a health problem,” said Tina Cherry, spokeswoman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which oversees the safe removal of asbestos when buildings are renovated or demolished.

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