Asbestos Results Are In For Cedar Bluffs

In Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, local officials have received good news regarding a recent round of asbestos testing. Cedar Bluffs Public Schools officials say that the test results indicate the asbestos is present only in the spray-on surface portion of the ceiling on the elementary school.

“That’s the best news that we could have hoped for,” Superintendent Joel Bohlken said.

The ceiling is 40 years old, and is in need of repair because of water damage. “If it [asbestos] would have been in the plaster, then we would have had to remove the whole ceiling,” Bohlken said, adding that it has yet to be determined what the most cost-effective method of asbestos removal would be. The school district is currently accepting bids from asbestos removal specialists, and will compare the costs of removing just the spray-on layer as opposed to removing the entire ceiling.

Removing asbestos is costly and painstaking, as many precautions must be taken to prevent the material from becoming airborne. Inhaling these tiny particles of asbestos can lead to serious health problems. Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.

The bids are expected by the February 15, Bohlken said.

Source: http://www.fremonttribune.com/articles/2010/01/28/news/local/doc4b61b84d11be5158112475.txt