Copyright cleveland.com
SOLON, Ohio — Environmental abatement crews at Roxbury Elementary have wrapped up preparations in the school’s north wing and are now beginning the next stage of asbestos remediation, according to a district update released Tuesday. The work in the north wing requires a more detailed and technical process than the environmental cleaning previously completed in the south and east wings, said Tamara Strom, director of communications for Solon City Schools. Crews have already cleaned and saved as much furniture as possible, relocating those items to the gymnasium for future classroom use. Ceiling removal in the north wing has now started. Meanwhile, another team has been focused on preserving classroom documents and materials. With thousands of papers and records to process, the task has required extra time and care. To help move things along, the district brought in additional scanning equipment and set up a separate, contained workspace so the effort could continue safely while abatement work progresses nearby. According to the district, the project remains on schedule. The north wing abatement is expected to finish by late November, followed by a round of air-quality testing to ensure the building meets safety standards. Once that is complete, crews will move into the restoration phase, reinstalling ceilings, lighting and carpeting and recreating the classroom environments before students return. Roxbury students and staff remain temporarily housed at Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls, where classes and school traditions have continued. Students recently took part in the annual Fun Run fundraiser, ate picnic lunches outside and are gearing up for a Halloween parade and classroom parties later this week. Superintendent Fred Bolden said in a previous update that the district continues to work closely with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Cleveland Department of Public Health’s Division of Air Quality to maintain regulatory oversight and safety throughout the project. “The safety and well-being of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we will not compromise on that commitment,” Bolden said. Health experts say asbestos exposure typically does not cause immediate symptoms but can carry potential long-term health risks. ]Dr. Snehal Smart, an expert contributor with The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, said that while some people may experience mild coughing or sneezing after inhaling asbestos particles, the greater concern lies in possible effects that can emerge decades later. “Over time, about 25 to 50 years after the exposure, asbestos exposure can cause symptoms such as trouble breathing, a chronic cough, frequent lung infections, scarring of the lungs and sometimes even cancer,” Smart said. She noted that asbestos in schools is particularly concerning because of the young age of students and the long period before asbestos-related diseases typically appear.
