I SCREAM YOU SCREAM WE ALL SCREAM: ASBESTOS

MHCC has had asbestos since the ’60s; waiting to receive funds to remove it

Often, when people hear the word “asbestos,” panic soon ensues. The same can be said for words such as lead, mold and other serious concerns regarding public health and safety. As it turns out, the MHCC campus carries some of these risks.
Substances like these were commonly used a lot between the 1940s and 1970s. Cheap, easily accessible, flame-retardant, and good at insulating sound and temperature, asbestos made the ideal insulative material for construction during that period.
People didn’t start to realize the risks associated with asbestos until the mid-1980s when a partial ban was placed on the use and production of the material by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, while preventing new asbestos products from entering the marketplace.
Would it surprise you to know that asbestos can still be found in a few places on the MHCC campus?
Earlier this Fall Term, I was practicing my instrument in a music practice room when I noticed a sign on the wall that read “Danger. Contains asbestos fibers. Avoid creating dust. Cancer and lung hazard. Avoid breathing airborne asbestos fibers.”
Obviously, I was a little shocked. I had always heard that asbestos was a known carcinogen, and any danger sign like this can be jarring. Discovering it was also a little ironic, since MHCC has an asbestos abatement course. Curious about this matter and wanting to know more, I reached out to the Director of Facilities, Risk Management and Public Safety at Mt. Hood, Charles George.
I introduced myself and asked my burning question, “Why is there still asbestos in these rooms?”George is very knowledgeable on this topic and explained to me that Mt. Hood was built when using asbestos in construction was commonplace, but the college has since taken drastic measures to remove as much asbestos as possible and to make this campus safe for students and staff alike.
George said most of the asbestos in the school has been removed, and the rest of the school is not in any immediate danger of asbestos contamination. The chalky material becomes an issue primarily when it is airborne – and, in making sure that nothing damages the walls, exposing old asbestos insulation, we at MHCC really have no reason to worry.
Any part of the school that still has asbestos in it is properly sealed and marked with warnings, such as that I saw, and is currently safe, he said.
The major barrier to MHCC becoming a completely asbestos-free campus is funding, George noted. With the passage of a multimillion-dollar general obligation bond measure as proposed by college leaders, Mt. Hood would be able to take the proper steps to fully remove all remaining asbestos, and to upgrade our campus in general. It can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take a long time to remove asbestos from even a small area because of the amount of work required to make the removal process safe and effective for removal workers, as well as students and staff.
What I learned is that we can all help improve how our campus runs by encouraging friends, family, and our communities to learn more about what the proposed bond measure will do for our school so that important changes can be made.

Adam Elwell