Dust in the Wind

Tracy Press (CA), Sarah Ostman
Published October 23, 2006

At least one Tracy resident is upset that the Tracy High campus wasn't hosed down after the destruction of the West Building, but officials say there was little danger posed by the dust kicked up during demolition. Last weekend, the structurally unsound West Building of Tracy High School was finally demolished to make room for a new, two-story, 40-classroom building. But the dust left behind is causing distress for at least one Tracy resident. Kim Hohn, the mother of two Tracy High students, worries that deadly asbestos fibers not properly removed from the building could have been spread throughout campus during demolition. "I have a father-in-law that died of asbestos from a fragment piece that got into his lungs, so I'm very aware of the dangers," Hohn said. "All it takes is a windstorm to spread those particles around." But Denise Wakefield, Tracy Unified School District's director of facilities and construction, says there is no cause for alarm. She says the demolition and removal of hazardous materials were handled in a completely safe manner. "Removal has to be regulated by a certified agency," Wakefield said. "All of the hazardous materials were abated according to very stringent codes and regulations prior to demolition. We had to get clear certification that there were no hazardous materials remaining before we could move forward." Asbestos was not used as a building material when the Tracy High School West Building was constructed in 1916, but it was added in later years in the floor tiles and Sheetrock. Lead paint was also used in the building. Contractor Sterling Environmental Engineering removed hazardous materials between July 7 and Sept. 1. During the process, asbestos was removed from the building and lead paint was painted over, or encapsulated, in areas where it was cracking or flaking to keep it from spreading into the air during demolition. This past weekend, workers also hosed the immediate area to keep down the dust. "No one at any point in time was in danger of coming into contact with any hazardous materials," Wakefield said. "In no way would we ever do anything that would endanger the health and safety of our students." But Hohn maintains that the entire campus should have been hosed down before students were allowed to return to campus. She also thinks the school should have alerted parents about the demolition. Instead, she learned about it in the Tracy Press. "There's always long-term effects," Hohn said. "No one thought asbestos was dangerous when my father-in-law was working around it, and now he's dead. Parents need to be aware." California has had at least 4,273 asbestos-related deaths since 1979, the highest of any state in the U.S., according to the Environmental Working Group. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers can remain and accumulate in the lungs. Long-term risks of exposure include chest and abdominal cancers and lung disease.