Asbestos abatement underway

WINSTED — An asbestos abatement project, which has been long in the works, began at Pearson Middle School earlier this month.The asbestos abatement will include the demolition of 34,262 square feet of asbestos-containing floor tile located in classrooms and hallways throughout the building.School Building Committee Chairman Joseph Beadle said that the district has hired Weise Construction from Norwich for the abatement project.“We anticipate the project to be completed by the start of the school year at the end of August,” Beadle said. “Abatement is completed on the first floor and the contractor is moving on to the second floor this week. The new floor tile is to be delivered this week and will be installed in the first week of August.”According to a letter posted at the front doors of the building signed by School Superintendent Blaise Salerno, children under 18 years of age will not be allowed into the building until the project is completed on Aug. 30.The project will cost up to $515,000. The expense is covered in the school district’s approved budget for 2011-12. The state is set to reimburse up to 70 percent of the total cost.Asbestos abatement has been a long-standing issue for the school building.In the summer of 2010, an asbestos-remediation project was completed before the school year started. In February, the school was closed after a leak from a third-floor sink was discovered. The sink leaked onto tiles in a hallway on the second floor. The tiles then curled up and popped, exposing the asbestos mastic underneath.For the rest of the school year, certain portions of the school were closed off, and heavy rugs were placed on top of the damaged floor tiles.

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