THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 7, 1995 TAG: 9509070667
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
The extent of asbestos contamination in the west wing of fire-ravaged Princess Anne High School is worse than thought, and an extensive cleanup program has begun, school officials said Wednesday.
The west wing houses programs for about 200 mentally and physically challenged children. It was spared the brunt of a fire Friday that destroyed classrooms, the library, the cafeteria and the administrative offices in an adjoining wing.
Initial tests in the west wing showed asbestos fibers had settled on surfaces like floors and desk tops, but it was not until a more exhaustive examination by Atlantic Environmental Co. that contamination was found in the wing's heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Anne Meek, assistant superintendent for organizational support, said it is not known how long the extended cleanup will take.
Until it is known, no decision will be made about where children with disabilities will be sent when classes for the entire student body resume Tuesday.
``We are in a wait-and-see mode about the special education program and the west building,'' she said.
``It is not all that unusual that you would clean the surfaces first and then look at the ventilation system later,'' Meek said.
``Just like in your house, you might clean the counter tops first, but you would not look every time at the bottom of your refrigerator.''
Asbestos is a common mineral that was widely used in commercial and residential construction in the 1950s. It does not burn, nor conduct heat or electricity, but its fibers are deadly when inhaled over a period of time.
When the fibers settle into the lungs, the body reacts by forming scar tissue around them. If enough scar tissue forms, patients can suffer increasing shortness of breath that can eventually lead to respiratory failure.
Asbestos is considered a hazardous material and cleanup is costly, requiring workers to seal their environment from the outside, don special air filters and work in disposable garments.
Also on Wednesday, school officials increased the count on the number of destroyed classrooms to 28 from the 17 previously reported. Initial reports did not include classrooms on the first floor, Meek said.
``There were 17 classrooms lost on the upper hall and 11 on the lower hall,'' Meek said.
In a bit of encouraging news for the beleaguered school, recently completed surveys show that asbestos contamination did not spread to other sections of the school.
As a result, Meek said, up to 48 classrooms ``may be available for occupancy in a matter of weeks, depending on the cleanup schedule and continuing encouraging reports.''
If those classrooms are made safe for children, then the city's ongoing plans to convert Celebration Station into a substitute high school may be scaled back.
While smoke-related damage is found throughout these classrooms, it is not severe enough to prohibit their eventual use, once conventional cleanup efforts are completed, she said.
And in another bit of good news, the school system has worked out an arrangement with the Virginia Beach Public Library for a novel substitution for the destroyed high school library.
The nearby Central Library will make resources available for the displaced students, while the school system will install a CD-ROM library at Celebration Station. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
MEETING
An informational meeting for parents and students of Virginia
Beach's Princess Anne High School will be held Friday, starting at 7
p.m., at Green Run High School. The meeting will address questions
about plans made in the wake of the fire that delayed the start of
classes for Princess Anne students until Tuesday. Students will
attend classes in various locations while the school is repaired and
rebuilt.
by CNB