The Journal

Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Lanz Christian Banes Insulation containing mold was removed from this pipe in the basement of the Visual Arts Studio. As of press time Feb. 27, the insulation had yet to be replaced. Wellington Environmental, the company hired by Webster to clean up mold on campus, will be doing additional mold cleanup in the VAS darkroom during spring break.

Asbestos insulation found in the basement of the Visual Arts Studio has been contained in order to meet safety standards, said David Stone, director of facilities planning and management.


The asbestos was found last summer by employees of Wellington Environmental, a company hired to clean up mold in the basement. The asbestos was found only on the pipe joints in the mechanical room, Stone said in an e-mail. In a story that ran in The Journal Feb. 8, neither Wellington nor Webster representatives were able to determine whether the company had been hired to properly contain the asbestos.


Asbestos insulation refers to a group of minerals with small fibers that can pose a health risk to humans because it is hard to remove from the lungs. It increases the risk of lung cancer and other lung disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In the past, asbestos was used in insulation and other building materials. Asbestos may removed if its fibers have been disturbed, or asbestos may be contained if it has been discovered but not disturbed.


Jim Ward, manager of facilities operations at Webster, was on personal leave and not available for comment by press time Feb. 27.


In addition to asbestos, the art building has been facing ongoing problems with mold. Wellington removed mold from the mechanical room in the basement during summer 2006. Stone said the company performed additional removal of mold Feb. 27 from piping in the stairwell to the basement that had been present in the building for at least a year.


The Centers for Disease Control Web site states that exposure to mold can have various adverse health effects or none at all, depending on the level of a person's mold allergy.

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