EPA finds asbestos in partially-demolished Soap Lake school

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Health District (GCHD) reported Tuesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found materials containing asbestos at a partially demolished, unoccupied school in Soap Lake.

The EPA notified the GCHD that it found the contaminated materials at the Delancey-Houghton Elementary School, located at the corner of Fourth Avenue Southeast and Canna Street South in Soap Lake. The school is partially demolished and vacant.

According to a release from the Health District, the EPA plans to clean up the contaminated materials this spring. The Health District indicated that living and working next to the school poses a “relatively low risk,” but disturbing or having direct contact with the materials that contain asbestos may increase the risk of lung disease.

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral fiber found in rock and soil. It has been used in various construction materials due to its fiber strength and heat resistance, according to information from the Health District.

Breathing asbestos can cause long term health problems and repeated exposure over many years can cause lung cancer and other lung diseases, per the GCHD. Symptoms of diseases contracted by breathing asbestos can take years to develop, according to the GCHD.

The Health District recommends the following course of action for residents in the area:

• Do not allow children to play at or around Delancey-Houghton Elementary School.

• Do not enter the school or the area immediately around the school.

• Do not disturb any materials found immediately around the school.

Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors around the school on windy days until the cleanup is complete.

According to GCHD information, studies show people who breathed high levels of asbestos fibers increased their risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer in the lining of the chest and abdominal cavity), and asbestoses, a disease causing the lungs to become scarred with fibrous tissue. The risk of contracting one of these diseases increases with how much asbestos fibers a person inhales.

The Health District emphasized that the risk of lung disease from asbestos is, generally speaking, insignificant in small portions of time, as symptoms usually develop after many years of exposure. The Health District advised if people are currently experiencing any symptoms, it is not likely related to this specific site. It can take as many as 20 to 30 years for symptoms to appear and most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos do not develop health complications.

For more information about the health effects of asbestos, contact the Grant County Health District at 509-766-7960. With questions about the EPA’s clean-up plans, contact U.S. EPA on-scene coordinator Dale Becker at 206-553-6235.

The GCHD also recommends following up with a doctor with questions about an individual’s current health or symptoms.

Ryan Minnerly can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.