Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / March 29, 1994, edition 1 / Page 5
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The Compass Tuesday, March 29, 1994 5 Vikes at the CIAA Tournament photo by ]ody Riddick m . 'V«-^ I ^ sjiijssi¥ SS«»S Ifw Shawn Walker and Jove' Ford look on as Nate Higgs answer questions at a press conference after a victory in the first round victory over St.Augustine, at the CIAA Tournament in Winston Salem. ECSU officials lialt Butler renovation after asbestos is found in inner walls By Gloria Alexander University officials halted work on the renovation of Butler dorm in mid-February after asbestos was found in the walls. The supervisor in charge of the the construction project working on Butler Hall halted all work on the building after a foreman found material in the walls which he suspected was asbestos. After the material was tested, the supervisor, Ronnie Edmundson, confirmed that the material was asbestos. "The walls were full of it," he said. "It was all over the building." Edmundson said the building had to be sealed off so the asbestos wouldn't get outside. Construction workers were tested for exposure to asbestos particles. Roger McLean, Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, confirmed that asbestos had been found in Butler Hall; according to McLean, however, the asbestos "wasn't that bad." On Feb. 24, workmen wearing protective clothes and masks began removing the asbestos from the interior walls of the dorm. It took them three days to remove the asbestos from the building. Asbestos is an incombustible, chemical-resistant fibrous mineral widely used in public buildings during the 1940's and 1950's. Prolonged exposure to asbestos particles in the air causes cancer and asbestosis, a chronic lung inflamation. Low-level exposure to asbestos dust can also cause mesothelioma, a form of cancer which attacks the heart, stomach and lungs. Reginald Worlds, a former resident of Butler Hall, said that he and other students were aware of asbestos being in the building. "I remember during the year that a work crew came in and removed some asbestos from the back of the building but I never gave much thought about it affecting me," Worlds said. "We have the right to know when our lives are endangered from such negligence," another student commented. "Not only should we voice our opinions about incidents such as Butler, but also other issues that negatively affect the environment of our University." Asbestos-related diseases may not appear until years after exposure, according to The Asbestos Informer, a publication of the Environmental Protection Agency. Edmundson also said Butler was so "infested with termites," part of the building had to be torn down. One student who used to live in Butler recalled that, "there were so many termites in the building you could see them fly." McLean, however, denied the building was infested with termites. "That wasn't the reason for the stucture being tom down," he said. "It was a wooden frame. And the other part was steel." McLean added that officials wanted the renovated building to have a steel structure for support. The renovation should be completed by the fall of 1994, McLean said, and will house about 124 male students. The building will have central air conditioning, a fire alarm sprinkling system, a fire escape and a laundry room. Rooms will be the same size, he said. Butler Hall was constructed in 1926 with a capacity for 120 men, according to the University Handbook. It was closed from 1991 through 93 for rennovations.
Elizabeth City State University Student Newspaper
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March 29, 1994, edition 1
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