From: Robina Suwol
Date: 05 Apr 2003
Time: 12:45:56
Remote Name: 172.171.128.117
By JONATHAN VAN FLEET, Telegraph Staff
NASHUA Construction at the south campus of Nashua High School was halted Tuesday
after the School District found high levels of mercury in dust in the old
gymnasium.
The discovery caused alarm because of the potential hazard it posed to
construction workers, according to School District officials.
There was no risk to students because the gymnasium is on the other side of a
wall that separates students from the construction zone, said Superintendent of
Schools Joseph Giuliano.
To be sure, he said, the air in the building was tested and showed no signs of
mercury.
Parents should not be alarmed, Giuliano said.
'If there was any concern for safety, we'd shut down the project, he said.It's
safe.'
Crews will resume construction today, Giuliano added.
This year, sophomores attend classes in the old portion of the school while
construction crews renovate the other half. At the start of the next school
year, a new group of sophomores will attend classes in the renovated portion of
the school. A new athletic complex has already been completed.
Juniors and seniors attend the new north campus of Nashua High School off Broad
Street.
As a result of the discovery at the south school, the old gymnasium will be
sealed off from the rest of the construction site until the mercury can be
removed, said Mark Conrad, the School District's business administrator.
The air will be monitored in the construction area of the building as well as
the student portion for the remainder of the school year, Giuliano said.
The School District also sent a letter to parents on Tuesday informing them of
the discovery.
Mercury was discovered in the glue of the gymnasium's original floor in
September. That discovery dramatically altered the construction schedule at the
school. Construction crews were forced to work on other areas of the building
rather than renovate the gymnasium into what will be the school's library. As a
result, the library will not be available for
most or all of next school year.
The School District had already decided to wait until summer to get rid of the
mercury in the floor so no students will be in the building.
The cost of removing the mercury from the floor was estimated at about $140,000,
Conrad said. The discovery of the dust will mean more cost.
Besides the mercury, there have been discoveries of asbestos-laden tiles and
some lead paint around steel beams that have bumped up the chemical removal
costs.
The abatement portion of the project is up to $2.5 million from its original
amount of $900,000, Conrad said. Savings on other portions of the construction
have kept the $143 million bottom line intact, he said.
The School District has no idea how the mercury-laden dust got on the rafters or
how long it has been there. It's possible the dust has been there since the
gymnasium was constructed in 1975. It could also have settled there during the
recent construction process, said Jeanette Kotopoulis, assistant director of
plant operations for the district.
Mercury in the dust on the rafters was measured at 40 milligrams per kilogram.
Closer to the ground, the mercury compound was measured at 1 to 2 milligrams per
kilogram, said Kotopoulis.
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