Published: January 12, 2009 09:01 pm      

School official: Air quality good at five Tazewell facilities

CEDAR BLUFF, Va. — The air quality at five Tazewell County elementary schools undergoing a large-scale renovation project is OK, School Superintendent Dr. Brenda Lawson said Monday.

Although school was canceled again Monday as a precautionary measure at Cedar Bluff Elementary School, an air-quality test at the school came back negative in all locations with the exception of a hallway in the eastern portion of the building.

“The air in all of the classrooms at Cedar Bluff were negative,” Lawson said. “The exception was a hallway in the eastern part of the building. And we haven’t done any work in the hallway. But the gentleman from OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) saw an area, and because some of the tiles were removed, he asked that we have some of those tested. That area came back, and they found one (asbestos) fiber.”

Lawson said she was contacted by OSHA officials Monday morning, and informed the school was safe for students and staff.

“Even though we knew it was just a trace, I felt like I would defer to the OSHA people,” Lawson said. “That is why Cedar Bluff is out. He (the OSHA representative) called this morning, and said you didn’t have to call off school. But I wanted to air on the side of caution to make sure by having those children and teachers return to school that it was safe without a doubt.”

Lawson said the school systems’ emergency notification system was activated Monday afternoon to let parents know that Cedar Bluff Elementary will be back in normal session today. Air quality tests at four other schools included in the $8.9 million renovation project — Richlands Elementary, Tazewell Elementary, North Tazewell Elementary and Springville Elementary — also came back negative.

“I commend the parents and the staff for their patience in helping us work through this process, and I want to assure them that the work will continue at Cedar Bluff Elementary, and that every effort will be made by the construction people and those people that Tazewel County Public Schools employs to see that the project is complete, and the safety and well-being of our students and staff are not compromised.”

The long-planned $8.7 million renovation project involves the construction new heating and air-conditioning systems, new windows and bathroom upgrades at the five elementary schools.

The school renovations are being financed through literary loan funds authorized by the Tazewell County School Board and the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com