(KNSI) – Sauk Rapids-Rice School officials are calming fears after asbestos was discovered at the Pleasantview Elementary demolition site.
The school’s administration says the building was inspected and all the asbestos found was removed. But after the old school was torn down, officials found some eight to twelve-inch duct work pipes made with asbestos buried underground.
Superintendent Bradly Bergstrom says the school district understands the public’s concern.
“Asbestos is a very scary word but, it’s the disposal of it that is most important. Nobody in the neighborhood, none of the workers, none of the contractors, nobody’s been in danger-we just have to make sure that we dispose of it properly.”
The school district immediately called the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health, who devised a plan to dispose of the asbestos. The dirt around the asbestos piping will be removed, put in a container, and brought to a specialized facility for disposal. Workers started removing the asbestos late last week and clean-up will take a couple of weeks.
Bergstrom says the team was prepared for this scenario.
“It is not uncommon to find asbestos in buildings of this vintage. So, we were prepared in case we found something. And once that process is done, we can go back to making that site green space. There will be nothing asbestos-related, when we’re all done with the work that’s happening in that part of the project.”
The original Pleasantview Elementary was built in the 1960s. Authorities say many buildings constructed before the 1970s used asbestos pipes.
Officials say the clean-up won’t delay the school’s opening. The area where the asbestos piping was found is going to be green space and a parking lot. Bergstrom says the green space wasn’t going to be used until the spring of 2023 to give the grass time to be established before getting used.
The district plans to hold a community open house for the new Pleasantview school in late September.
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