Concerned Citizen Arrested for Asbestos Documentation
A concerned citizen in Medford, New York, was arrested for taking asbestos samples from Eagle Elementary School and charged with trespassing. Eugene Roos entered into the school on multiple occasions and took asbestos samples and video footage of alleged asbestos hazards, and then released his footage to a local news station. Cablevision’s News 12 has then aired a series using the footage and current parent and school reactions.
Roos took samples of insulation he suspected contained asbestos, and also footage of asbestos removal work performed in April and last weekend. Just last November, the Patchogue-Medford School District was cited by the State Labor Department for improper removal of floor tiles. The latest asbestos removal involved a limited amount of asbestos pipe insulation.
Asbestos was used significantly in construction since the late 1800’s because it is highly resistant to heat, fire and erosion. Many products used in the construction of schools were made with asbestos, including:
- pipe insulation
- fireproofing, acoustical sprays and stucco
- fireproof textiles
- cement and cement piping
- floor tile and linoleum
- electrical wiring
- insulation
- wallboard, joint compound and wall texture
- fireproof textiles
Asbestos fibers are strong, durable and virtually indestructible. If asbestos containing products are damaged or removed, fibers can be released and inhaled, causing severe illnesses, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. The harmful effects of asbestos and causal link to mesothelioma are now widely accepted and asbestos removal work is heavily regulated.
Despite school officials and State Department of Labor Asbestos Control Bureau saying the building is safe, student attendance remained down over fears of asbestos contamination. School trustees held a special meeting Wednesday and agreed to retest air quality in all 11 schools in the district, hopefully by week’s end.
