Dear Wynantskill UFSD community,
I want to let you know we will have some asbestos abatement at Gardner-Dickinson School at the end of July that we expect to last three to five days. While we will take all the necessary safety precautions, we decided to have the work done over the summer when students, faculty and most staff are not in the building.
The work will take place in the art room where flooring tiles and adhesive will be removed. Please know that the tiles and adhesive that will be removed are below another layer of tiles so there has been no risk of exposure to asbestos. The room needs new flooring so we want to take this opportunity to remove all the tile and adhesive.
The district has hired AirQuest Environmental, Inc. to monitor the work. They put together a plan that meets all federal and state codes. These codes ensure that work is done safely and the asbestos is disposed of properly. We have put up notices in the building to ensure anyone entering the school knows that abatement work could be taking place, even though the work area will be inaccessible to the public.
Please know abatement work has many safety requirements. Workers must be trained and wear protective suits and respirators. The area must be sealed off. Negative air machines (large fans with HEPA filters that constantly suck air from the work site and blow it outside) must run at all times during the work to catch any particles that might be in the air and clean the air before discharging it outside.
Monitoring machines that sample the air around the perimeter of the work site will ensure none of the particles escape. AirQuest Environmental, Inc. will always have a technician on site to monitor the work and make sure it meets codes. AirQuest has the authority to shut down the work at any time. They will clear the site when the work is done and the area is clear. All air samples will be verified by a laboratory.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at treardon@wynantskillufsd.org or call me at 518-283-4600 ext. 14.
Sincerely,
Dr. Thomas Reardon
Superintendent