Over 60 years ago in 1962, Pennsburg, East Greenville, and Red Hill high schools merged together to form the united Upper Perkiomen High School. This unification came with a new building with innovative minerals such as asbestos: a fire retardant material. Although this seemed great at the time, its effects started becoming clearer when individuals who worked around it started getting sick.
For more information on the mineral, The WSJ interviewed UPHS science teacher, Mr. Austin. He told the WSJ how back when the school was built, the thought was, “‘This stuff is great; it doesn’t burn. Let’s put it in everything.’” However, after a while of individuals being around it and breathing it in, he explained that they started “getting lung cancer and so they realized it’s dangerous.”
Mr. Austin also told the WSJ, “Side fact, the original Wizard of Oz, they used asbestos as the snow.” The pure asbestos fell on the actors, landing on their skin, hair, and costumes.
In our school, lab desks, floor tiles, insulation, and other parts of classrooms in the 100s wing, 200s wings, and the music room were built with asbestos. Mr. Austin states, however, “as long as you’re not doing demo work and construction and breaking it up so it gets into the air, it’s fine.”
Even so, the school is taking extra precautions against the asbestos. Administration has begun the process for the proposed Asbestos Abatement Project, which is a demolition project this upcoming summer. The WSJ interviewed Upper Perkiomen High School Principal, Mr. Flannagan, to find out more about the plan.
Mr. Flannagan mentioned, “the project that we have planned this summer is designed around doing some abatement work, which is to remove [the asbestos] and then replace it with new material.”
Over the summer, the science rooms will be renovated the most. Mr. Flannagan told the WSJ, “You’re going to see new lab stations, new flooring, new lab tables, some new furniture, [etc]. The project is in different stages right now with approval.”
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Lab counters and tiles in Ms. Rosch’s room that will removed.
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Ceiling tiles in Mr. Greggory’s room that will be removed.
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Lab tables in Ms. Rosch’s room that will be removed.
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Cabinets in Ms. Rosch’s room that will not be removed during the remodeling, instead taped up.
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Lab tables in Mr. Graham’s room that will be removed.
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Bottom of lab table in Ms. Csekitz room. With new renovations will come repairs.
He also elaborated, mentioning paintwork and new flooring in most of the classrooms, excluding new areas of the building. He explained, “what you’re going to see is a facelift.”
He concluded by telling everyone that “All the different components of what the project is going to ultimately entail is pending school board approval for that process, [which] we’re in the middle of. In the next I would say about a month, we’re going to know a little bit more on a timeline and a start date.”
The school is working hard towards removing the asbestos built into the school, but until then, it is important to note that it is not harmful to any students or staff unless it gets into the air.
