I am totally getting cancer

March 6, 2009



MEMORANDUM

TO: WELLS HALL – BUILDING CONTACTS

FROM: Shawn Kelly - Physical Plant Maintenance

SUBJECT: ASBESTOS ABATEMENT – WELLS HALL

Abatement of asbestos-containing materials has been scheduled to take place in WELLS HALL – ROOMS D327 & D300, under Work Order W09016002. Asbestos as pipe fitting insulation will be removed during this project. This abatement is scheduled to begin Monday, March 16, 2009 and will be completed on Wednesday, March 18, 2009. The abatement contractors will be working between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The requestor of this project is responsible for the removal of any furniture or other items which may inhibit the ability of the contractor to perform this abatement.

Michigan State University retains only State of Michigan licensed asbestos abatement contractors with trained and certified workers to conduct asbestos projects. Asbestos abatement personnel are required by law to take appropriate measures to contain asbestos fibers within the work area. Asbestos work areas are strictly off limits to persons who are not trained or directly involved with the project. Please respect all warning signs and danger tape. When the abatement has been completed, the area will be cleared for unrestricted use by an independent third party who conducts a visual inspection followed by an air clearance test.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for any chemicals that may be used during this project are available from the Physical Plant Project Representative or the Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety (ORCBS).

If you have any questions, please contact Mark Lutkenhoff, Planner/Inspector/Analyst, at 432-0537, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After 4:30 p.m., contact Gordon Clark, Acting Skilled Trades Supervisor at 432-0508, from 4:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Please notify all personnel in your building. Your cooperation during this interruption is appreciated.

To change your list of building contacts please e-mail physplantbldgcontact@pplant.msu.edu, or call Ruth Mair at 432-0243.

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cc: Utility Shutdown Contacts

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Since the 1960s, asbestos has been recognized as a potent carcinogen and serious health hazard. Inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers has been established as the cause of asbestosis (thickening and scarring of lung tissue) and as a cause of mesothelioma (a highly lethal tumor of the pleura) as well as of cancers of the lung, intestines, and liver. In 1972, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration began regulating asbestos and strengthening work safety standards. Large class action lawsuits were filed and won against asbestos companies, which had probable prior knowledge of the dangers involved. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency imposed a ban on 94% of U.S. asbestos production and imports, to be phased in over a seven year period. Most current asbestos exposure comes from asbestos in older buildings and products such as automobile brakes.