An agreement regarding the asbestos problems at local schools in Connecticut was recently reached by district officials. Several schools in Brookfield have had ongoing asbestos issues and many parents and employees have voiced their concerns about safety and health.
The agreement recently reached was between school officials and the state Department of Public Health. Residents in the community and parents who have children attending schools in the district are relieved some type of decision has been made.
Ensuring the Safety of Children
The agreement reached supposedly outlines the district’s need to change how it goes about dealing with asbestos problems. The issue at hand was the fact that they didn’t go about properly removing it before and the agreement is meant to prevent this type of mistake from occurring in the future.
“This is a small measure of justice,” stated Kerry Swift, one of the many parents who joined the fight to urge state health officials to investigate how asbestos was being handled at schools.
The order, which was signed by the district’s superintendent, goes into great detail about procedures needed to address asbestos issues. A threat of a $23,000 fine is also included in the case of future errors.
Risks of Asbestos Can be Deadly
Asbestos is known as a carcinogen that can oftentimes be fatal to those who unknowingly inhale or ingest the fibers. Asbestos can also cause various forms of cancer including mesothelioma and asbestosis.
However, symptoms of exposure oftentimes don’t become apparent until several years after it occurred. For this reason, many illnesses have already progressed before they are diagnosed and can begin being treated.
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