Construction of California School Set to Begin on Asbestos-Laden Land
By Alison Gonzalez
Published on May 15, 2007
Crews will begin laying down a heavy fabric and more than 10,000 cubic yards of imported dirt over the asbestos-laden soil at the future site of Mountain Oaks Charter School and Mountain Ranch Community School, which currently accommodate more than 500 students from kindergarten through high school.
It will take 20 truckloads a day over a period of five weeks to completely cover the tainted dirt.
The school's construction represents the latest phase in the struggle to manage the risks associated with naturally occurring asbestos found in serpentine rock throughout Calaveras County. Asbestos exposure over long periods of time is known to cause mesothelioma – a form of lung cancer – and other health conditions.
The greenish rock prompted an asbestos scare in El Dorado Hills in the 1990s, when very little was known of its harmful effects. As a result, concerned families moved out of the area and property values were threatened.
Since then, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control has required school agencies building on asbestos-filled land to create detailed plans to prevent students from exposure.
Plans at the San Andreas school site include spraying water during construction to prevent dust from entering the air, monitoring dust at the site, and washing down construction trucks to prevent spreading the dust elsewhere.
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