Pittsburgh, PA Area High School to Close for Year-Long Asbestos Abatement and Renovation Project

The Montour School District in suburban Pittsburgh, PA is currently investigating options to obtain temporary quarters for the district’s 900 high school students. The current high school will be closed while asbestos is removed and other needed renovations are completed.

Exposure to asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer and asbestosis. Those affected by asbestos disease can obtain important information about their legal rights from our attorneys.

In February 2010, the interim superintendent of the Montour School District in Pittsburgh, PA met with parent groups to discuss the District’s plans to close the high school for one year to accommodate the abatement of asbestos and other hazardous contaminants present in tiles, lighting fixtures and other areas in the building.

By closing the building for the 2010-2011 school year, the abatement and renovation project could be completed many months sooner and eliminate the risk of students, teachers and staff being exposed to environmental carcinogens (cancer-causing materials) if the work were done in phases while classes were conducted in other areas of the building.

The District’s plan is contingent on locating a building that meets state regulations and can accommodate the 900 students enrolled in the District’s High School. The District is considering several options, which were scheduled to be discussed in further detail at the District’s March 2010 School Board meeting.

Use of Asbestos Materials in School Buildings
Like the Montour High School building, thousands of aging school buildings throughout the U.S. were constructed using hundreds of asbestos-containing materials (ACM). For schools built prior to the 1970s, ACM was typically used in:

Roofs and Ceilings. Asbestos was used in acoustic “popcorn” ceiling panels and spray-on materials. In addition, roofs were built with asbestos-containing shingles, roof sheeting materials and insulation.

Heating and Cooling. Asbestos insulation was routinely used in school boiler rooms, and applied to the pipes that travel through hallways, stairwells and classrooms

Classrooms, Stairwells and Hallways. Asbestos was added to the plaster applied to the walls throught school buildings, particularly in hallways and stairwells. Asbestos was also added to many texture paint materials and used in older vinyl wall coverings.

Cafeterias, Bathrooms and Gym Facilities. The tiles used in school cafeterias, gyms, locker rooms, and bathrooms were often applied using asbestos-containing glues and mastics, and asbestos insulation was typically applied to hot water pipes in these areas.

Flooring. Floor tiles, linoleum and subflooring materials all typically contained asbestos.

School Teachers at High Risk for Asbestos Disease
Tragically, school teachers face the highest asbestos disease risk rate of those not employed in industries where asbestos materials were used on a daily basis.

One of the reasons for this high risk rate is linked to the career path of many elementary school teachers. Because many of these teachers spend their entire careers teaching for the same district (and sometimes the same classroom), they face additional exposure risks to asbestos dusts from ACM in the classroom.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.