Get Herald RSSStudents in Hegeman returned this fall to freshly painted walls, redone floors and the air clear of something they may not have known was there in the months before - asbestos.
This summer, renovations in Hegeman involved the removal of the lung-cancer-causing, microscopic, white fibers from the floors, though most residents interviewed by The Herald were not even aware of the actions taken to combat the hazard.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site, asbestos is often found in acoustic and thermal insulators, such as the material used to build walls and flooring. Though asbestos is most well known for being potentially dangerous, the EPA also states that if asbestos-containing materials are left undisturbed, they should not pose a health risk, meaning that previous Hegeman residents most likely were safe.
In fact, asbestos removal was not originally part of the renovations for Hegeman. The fibers were only found after construction crews went in to retile the floors.
According to Steven Morin, Brown's director of Environmental Health and Safety, most buildings built before 1980 contain materials with asbestos, so it wasn't surprising that they were present.
However, Morin reiterated that the asbestos was harmless until it was disturbed by construction crews, which was when Brown made the decision to go forward with the heavily regulated and effective asbestos removal process.
Morin, who oversaw the process, explained that workers who were trained in asbestos removal prepared the work area by following a plan approved by the Rhode Island Department of Health to ensure the safety of the workers and that no air escaped, which would have exposed the asbestos. A licensed consultant also took air samples to ensure that clearance standards had been reached. Morin added that asbestos probably still remains in the non-renovated sections of Hegeman but said that even if present it is harmless when contained.
For residents of Hegeman in the present and future, there need not be any health-related worry. Morin said, "I would not be concerned, even if my own daughter who is in college were to live in Hegeman."
"I think if people understood more about the regulations and process (of asbestos removal) they would be less concerned," he added.
However, it seems that some Hegeman residents interviewed by The Herald are concerned that they were not notified of the situation. David Kern '09, who lived in Hegeman, said he didn't hear anything about asbestos from the University. But he added that he "kind of assumed the building used it," since many building materials used to contain asbestos.
Kern also said he was pleased about the renovations. "Really, the whole building was falling apart … so I am glad they did something about it."
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