Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos in Vermont School Causing Community Concern

In Springfield, Vermont, many people have become increasingly concerned over asbestos present in the North School building. Members of the Springfield Select Board were offered the chance to buy the school and its surrounding land for $1, but the board is still wary of accepting the offer.

Larry Kraft, chairman of the Springfield School Board, told the Select Board that if the town does not want the land, the school board will try to sell it to a developer.

The Select Board said that they are hesitant to buy the school, which has been closed for two decades. Dealing with asbestos in the school could be an expensive proposition, and the asbestos must be removed by law before the building could be utilized.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to mesothelioma, a rare form of asbestos cancer that affects less than 3,000 Americans annually but is always fatal.

In addition to asbestos concerns, the board expressed concerns that the other costs of bringing the building into the 21^st century could be astronomical. Many community members, though, would like to go ahead with asbestos removal and renovations so that the building can be used again.

Local resident and Select Board member Jean Willard thinks that the school should become a community center, and the surrounding lands used for parks and recreations for the local children. Willard also advised her fellow board members to seek state or federal grants for the asbestos removal as the process is typically very costly.