Elk Rapids to proceed with school project

Sep. 2—ELK RAPIDS — The Elk Rapids Board of Education voted unanimously to award bids to Otwell Mawby and Quality Environmental Services, Inc. for asbestos abatement at the district's middle school, a process that recently prompted concerns from parents.

In November 2020, the village of Elk Rapids approved Elk Rapids Schools' 30-year $50 million bond to make improvements to the district's elementary schools and significant updates to Cherryland Middle School and Elk Rapids High School.

Then, as the 2022-23 school year neared, Elk Rapids administration geared up for construction on Cherryland's east wing to begin in the fall.

The project will involve rebuilding Cherryland's oldest wings, constructing a commons area and building new classrooms. Part of the process also will begin with the removal of asbestos in any of the construction areas.

Up until the 1980s, asbestos was added to nearly every kind of building material to increase durability, insulation and fire resistance. It can be found in ceilings and walls in schools across the country. It does not pose a danger to students and staff — unless it is disturbed.

Since the 1980s, schools have been required by federal law to conduct regular inspections of asbestos-containing materials and maintain asbestos management plans to protect students and employees from being exposed, according to the official website for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The mention of the asbestos abatement process and a Facebook post about preparations ahead of the demolition of the middle school's east wing caused concern among parents that asbestos could be in the air while their children are in and around the building, Superintendent Julie Brown said.

In response to parent concerns, Brown created a list of answers to frequently asked questions about asbestos abatement for the school district's website. The Elk Rapids Board of Education trustees decided to hold a special meeting Thursday, where they brought in James Jackson from Otwell Mawby to explain the asbestos abatement process.

Quality Environmental Services, Inc. will do the actual asbestos abatement, while Otwell Mawby will be independently overseeing the work and making sure they are adhering to federal, state and local laws.

Before Quality Environmental Services, Inc. begins ridding the area of asbestos, they will seal off the east wing of the building and filter asbestos out of the air that exits the abatement area. They also will be monitoring the air in the abatement area and adjacent areas.

"We'll essentially be building a plastic bag inside the work area to ensure that nothing comes out of it," Jackson said.

The area also will be surrounded with temporary walls, fences and separate entrances that will be used for the demolition and construction of a new wing that will come afterard.

Jackson also explained that the east wing of the middle school does not connect to the HVAC system with the rest of the school building, so they won't have to worry about air exchange between the abatement area and active classrooms.

Once the project is done, Otwell Mawby will run more tests before allowing people into those areas again.

Jackson said he has done environmental counseling asbestos work for about 20 years and, in that time, he has had experience with many schools.

"It is very typical that we get concerns on every project, whether it's in a hospital, school, a college or even a residence," Jackson said.

Otwell Mawby also has to notify the state of Michigan 10 days before the abatement begins, so the state can send MIOSHA or EGLE representatives to make sure there are no occupational or environmental hazards or violations.

Jackson added that he has worked with Quality Environmental Services, Inc. before, but he stressed that the two companies are independent of each other.

"None of these companies want to get into a situation in a school where they cause an issue, they make the newspaper, they hurt somebody — they put themselves out of the job, per se," Jackson said.

The east wing of the middle school building will be closed off to the rest of the building during demolition, even after the asbestos abatement work is done.

Brown asked Jackson if Otwell Mawby would shut down the project if something goes awry, and he said yes. "There's nothing more important about this construction than making sure out kids are safe," Brown said. "And that's why we're all here today."

No one spoke during public comment.

Asbestos abatement at the middle school will begin Sept. 17 and the demolition of the east wing will begin on Oct. 1, Brown said. The abatement project should take about two weeks.

Elk Rapids has already started some of the planned construction work funded by the 2020 bond, including turning the district's central office into classrooms and moving the Sunrise Academy. The district is in the design phase for the rest of the work planned at the high school and elementary schools, Brown said.

With the district's plan for future work, Jackson said the need for asbestos abatement will likely come up again.