School trustee candidates running for election under the Proudly 性视界传媒 banner are calling on the district to stop its policy of 鈥渁sbestos encapsulation,鈥 or leaving lethal asbestos in schools after renovations, expansions and seismic upgradings.
Fine dust from asbestos, when disturbed, can get lodged deep in the lungs and has been linked to lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
Proudly 性视界传媒 candidate Rina Diaz charged that 鈥渁s a cost-saving measure, we are leaving this substance in the walls and ceilings of our schools. That is insanity.鈥
鈥淲e need to remove all asbestos from our schools, now, period,鈥 Diaz insists. 鈥淚 conducted my own investigation and discovered that while the policy requires that schools be checked for asbestos entering the air supply every six months, many schools have not been tested or inspected in as many as three years.鈥
Proudly 性视界传媒 school trustee candidate Rina Diaz. (File photo)
Her running mate, Dean McGee, said an elected Proudly 性视界传媒 school board would 鈥渋nitiate a complete investigation of all records and contracts pertaining to the monitoring of hazardous materials in 性视界传媒 schools and facilities.鈥
Diaz said eliminating asbestos from all the schools will 鈥渃ost money.鈥 She noted that section 112 of the BC School Act permits school boards 鈥渢o hold a referendum to raise additional funds that exceed that provided鈥 by the provincial government.
鈥淎 successful referendum, combined with the revenue from a local levy on cannabis sales, will fund the costs associated with the complete removal of asbestos from all school board facilities over the next four years,鈥 Diaz said.
性视界传媒 School District spokesman Doug Strachan said it 鈥渨ould be unfortunate if there鈥檚 fear-mongering as part of political gain.鈥
鈥淏ut we have an extensive and detailed, and have had for years, asbestos management program and in fact just this year alone we have a 450-page report detailing every location within every school that has asbestos, even potential locations for asbestos in those schools, so that they鈥檙e very tightly controlled and regulated and monitored.鈥
性视界传媒 School District spokesman Doug Strachan. (File photo)
Strachan said district employees are required at sites containing asbestos in any form, be it vermiculite in insulation or tape wrapping pipes, to document it 鈥渁nd employees on site are required to have training in recognizing and managing any spills.
鈥淲e have annual inspections of those schools and more often at some of the schools where there鈥檚 insulation, I mean I can go on and on. There鈥檚 regular training, on a cyclical basis, for all facilities people and custodians on asbestos abatement.鈥
Strachan said the school board has been 鈥渘ot just diligent, but even aggressive in prioritizing the policies and funding for school safety measures and asbestos management is one of them. I was required to take online asbestos management processes, education as a district employee.鈥
Strachan said it鈥檚 鈥渋ronic鈥 the Proudly 性视界传媒 candidates are targeting encapsulation, 鈥渂ecause that is in fact what the experts say is the safest thing.鈥
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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