In 2015, Kilgore College put into place a plan to address asbestos in the older buildings in response to questions concerning the school’s attention to potential asbestos hazards. At that time, the college received a clean report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality, the state health department, and other groups. This was based on a determination that the asbestos in question was not damaged and, therefore, non-harmful in its intact state.
Areas of abatement
This year, the school proactively began an abatement of three buildings: The East Texas Oil Museum, the Engineering Science, and the Technical/Vocational buildings.
Potential asbestos hazards
Duane McNaney, vice president of administrative services, stated, “The identified asbestos on campus is not in a friable (dangerous) state.” While currently intact, and therefore not harmful, the college showed wisdom in abating the asbestos now since any future damage might have released fibers into the air to be inhaled, thus presenting a potential hazard. There is no safe level of asbestos fibers. Possible diseases due to inhalation of asbestos include lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma – a deadly disease.
Routine maintenance
According to McNaney and college spokesman Chris Craddock, the current abatement work is not due to any newly discovered asbestos, but is a response to the 2015 abatement plan.
Craddock said, “All of Kilgore College’s books are current concerning our asbestos reviews, inspections, etc. We house them in the McLaurin Administration Building, and they are available for anyone to look at through a (public information) request.”
