An environmental engineering firm will create plans to remove asbestos in the attic piping and boilers at Carpenter Elementary School.
The Park Ridge-Niles District 64 school board recently hired ENVIRON International Corporation to handle the asbestos removal design, air sampling and testing inside the school, as well as the bidding process for the project.
The asbestos is inside the attic piping and the school’s two boilers, but is not a danger to students or staff because it’s undisturbed, said Scott Mackall, director of facility management.
The asbestos removal is a component of the school’s proposed heating ventilation and cooling system upgrade, which still needs final approval from the board. If the new system is installed, the attic piping, which has an asbestos-based insulation, needs to removed because it poses unsafe conditions for workers. Also, asbestos needs to be removed from the boilers before they are taken out of the building and replaced.
Overall, the project is estimated to cost $558,000, which includes the $72,300 fee from ENVIRON.
If the district agrees to remove the asbestos, some of the material would first be taken out during spring break. The removal would resume when school ends this summer and would be completed by the time classes begin in the fall, Mackall said. The HVAC upgrade, if approved, would also be completed before the fall.
ENVIRON managed the asbestos removal at Washington Elementary School when the Federal Aviation Administration paid to soundproof the school. The firm has worked with the district for over 10 years.
Board member Dan Collins said he was concerned about not bidding the design project, adding the board needs to set a price for projects that don’t require bids.
Board President John Heyde said professional services are exempt from bidding requirement under the state’ school code, but the community finance committee previously recommended longstanding relationships shouldn’t trump bidding procedures.
Superintendent Philip Bender noted the Carpenter project is under a time crunch and ENVIRON is the best choice the district has.
Bidding the project could take three to four months, Mackall said. If the school board doesn’t go forward with the removal plans, the district can keep the design and use it for the future.
