MSBA to Vote for $6 M State Aid on Asbestos Elimination

(Weymouth, MA - January 24, 2011) Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) will vote for six million state aid Monday to eradicate asbestos in an outside wall at Chapman Middle School.

MSBA, a quasi-independent govt agency created to reform the process of funding capital improvement projects in the Commonwealth?s public schools, is bound to decide Monday whether to give its blessing to the proposal.

Earlier this month, Mary Jo Livingstone, Superintendent of Weymouth Schools, submitted a request to the school committee to fund the six million dollar state aid to help clear away the asbestos that has a protective seal on it in an outside wall at Chapman Middle School. According to the reports, the asbestos was found in an outside wall at the Chapman School in twenty-nine paint chips that were tested by a private painting firm in preparation for a waterproofing project in April 2007.

After the discovery, school administrators decided to cancel the classes to give way for CBI Consulting, a private air quality firm, to clear the asbestos in some locations. The firm also covered the wall with two coats of latex to seal the material on all the painted surfaces. Although CBI said that there were no dangerous levels of asbestos in the air outside the school building, the school council still wants assurance that there will be no cases of significant health troubles to arise in the area.

On the other hand, Livingstone said that getting the MSBA to fund asbestos removal differs from the usual requests it receives. She said that it is more difficult to get the MSBA involved as it requires six priority categories, which include an overhaul of school construction or renovation projects. Meanwhile, Weymouth town council already made a motion for the committee to approve the statement of interest because of the looming deadline to file the application with the MSBA. The filing deadline is due on January 26.