A middle school in Montpelier, Vermont, recently closed due to concerns over asbestos that was found in the building.

The new school year is set to begin at the end of August and according to officials, the school may not be safe enough to open.

Improper Asbestos Removal Discovered

According to reports, a safety inspector from the Vermont Health Department discovered workers were improperly removing asbestos from Main Street Middle School.

Asbestos was reportedly contaminating the tiles and temporarily shut down all operations at the school.

School officials then brought in the district’s asbestos control officer, Chris Crothers, to begin removing the harmful substance.

Uncertainty as to When School Will Open

As of Tuesday, when crews were found to be improperly removing the asbestos, it is uncertain as to when the school will be able to reopen.

A new plan for removal was reportedly submitted by Crothers to the Vermont Health Department and the plan needs to be reviewed until cleanup continues.

Workers at Risk of Asbestos Cancer

The cleanup crew was reportedly found to not be wearing face masks or air-sampling pumps during the asbestos removal.

The doors to most of the classrooms were left open and no barriers were formed to keep the public from trespassing during the removal process.

(Source: Times Argus)

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