On Feb. 7, Sonoma State sent out an email to all students and faculty regarding the asbestos on campus. According to the email, at least 12 buildings on campus are “locations with asbestos-containing construction materials.”
The press release said that asbestos has been detected in areas like fire door insulation, floor tiles, and thermal system insulation.
Asbestos, an excellent electrical insulator that is highly resistant to heat, was used as a building material for decades, before it was banned in 1977. It is a well-known health hazard if asbestos particles or fibers become airborne and ingested.
Sonoma State students reacted to the email sent last week, which caused mixed emotions to arise on the issue. Overall, people have many questions about it, and some students feel as though they have been left in the dark.
“I think the school needs to give us more information. I still don’t know much about the asbestos issue, so I wish they would explain it more,” said Myles Grabau, a second- year communications major.
The email directs students with questions to contact Environmental Health and Safety for Sonoma State. The STAR reached out to the contact listed on the school’s press release, Director of Environmental Health and Safety Ruth LeBlanc, yet no response was received as of Monday morning, Feb. 17.
The STAR reached out to over 10 different staff members whose jobs relate to the safety of students on campus and emailed the building management department on campus. Neither department responded to requests for information and no staff members contacted within the last week would release a public statement concerning the asbestos issue on campus.
Inhalation of asbestos fibers may lead to serious health conditions, including asbestosis and cancer. Exposure typically occurs only when the asbestos-containing material is disturbed or damaged in some way to release particles and fibers into the air. For example, activities such as construction work, remodeling, hanging objects with nails or tacks, or cleaning and maintenance cause asbestos particles to be released into the air. The Pleural Mesothelioma Center stated that “asbestos-related illnesses account for approximately 10,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.”
There is a specific danger to people who work in construction for the school and are subjected to plumbing pipes and other building materials containing asbestos.
The ripple of concern extended to parents of students attending the university. One family said they wish to remain anonymous, but also wanted to share their thoughts about the issue. “We don’t want our daughter to continue going to school where she is at risk. Every semester there has been a new issue…Now asbestos? It’s just a lot. My daughter wants to keep going to school at Sonoma State, but as parents, we are very concerned about her health and safety there.”
A few years ago, Sonoma State was sued by Thomas R. Sargent, an environmental health and safety specialist that worked for the school for more than 20 years. Sargent claims to have repeatedly raised concern about asbestos on the campus, only receiving retaliation from his employer. After two months of testimony, the jury sided with Sargent, and “awarded him $387,895 for mental suffering, emotional distress, and lost compensation. About $725,000 was to be dispersed among the 231 teachers, administrative assistants, and other university employees who worked in Stevenson Hall from May 2013 to March 2015,” according to an article in The Press Democrat published in 2017. Students seem to have very little knowledge about this lawsuit.
The press release from Sonoma State last week explained that the majority of the asbestos listed is in floor tiles, joint compound (plumbing), pipe insulation, and roofing – things students and staff are not likely to come in contact with. However, many buildings where students and faculty decorate walls, display photos or paintings, hang plants, and more, contain asbestos materials. Even simple nails and thumbtacks can release the dangerous particles. People might be affected, even if there isn’t construction going on.
The California State University system reports in their 2019-2020 budget that 56% of the academic buildings throughout the state are at least 40 years old, and administrators estimated that the maintenance backlog to improve facilities equates to $3.7 billion. There is no mention of asbestos in the deferred maintenance back-log, and CSU only requested $250 million out of a $7.32 billion budget, $3.12 billion of which is collected from students through tuition and fees, to begin renovating structures, like Stevenson
“Where is my tuition money going? The housing payments? It’s a great university, but there’s been water issues, electricity issues, and now asbestos,” said Sienna Narine, a second year communications major. “The problems at this school seem to keep piling up, but no resolution has been found. I think the people in charge need a wake-up call, or we need new people in charge. I want a stronger administration that sticks up for the welfare of students.”
Overall, the majority of students just want clarification. Many students feel as though the school is not ex plaining the issue enough, and wish to know more about how the school plans to address the asbestos detections.
“As students, we should be able to know everything that is going on–everything that affects life on campus. This asbestos issue has been a thing for a while, so I’m wondering what four years in a building with asbestos does to a person,” said Bryce Gallagher, a second-year communications major.
Several college campuses experience issues with asbestos, and their responses have been different. CU Boulder’s website states that their “current philosophy for asbestos management…is to make it possible for per sons in the University community to safely coexist with asbestos containing materials in campus buildings while executing a program of removal as renovation occurs or as funds become available.”
SSU is in the process of renovating Stevenson Hall, which is now widely known for containing asbestos materials.
