Asbestos: UO isolates
asbestos in old buildings
Continued from page 17A
doors and even in the tiles that make
up the floors of many of the Univer
sity’s buildings.
“We treat it all the same,” Pelkey
said. “From a trace to 50 percent, it’s
all managed with the same care.”
Asbestos in campus buildings is
managed by Pelkey and his two full
time employees, who check asbestos
filled fixtures twice a year for signs of
wear. The asbestos is removed if the
fixtures are worn and pose a threat.
“We manage it and we remove it
when we need to,” Pelkey said. “We
go by EPA guidelines.”
According to the EPA, asbestos
filled fixtures that are in good shape
should be left alone and monitored
for signs of wear.
Pelkey said each year certain build
ings are slated for asbestos removal.
Safe asbestos removal makes the
campus altogether safer by reducing
the number of sites Facilities Services
has to monitor.
When asbestos is removed on
campus, it is done only under strict
supervision by skilled workers. For
small jobs, Facilities Services uses its
own employees. For larger jobs, con
struction crews are hired from a list
of contractors approved by OUS.
Dickenson said OUS keeps be
tween six and eight contractors on re
tainer. To get on the list, contractors
must pass a lengthy evaluation
process requiring all employees to
submit references and licensing doc
uments for consideration.
“We thoroughly review everything
they submit,” Dickenson said.
A number of methods have been
developed for safely removing as
bestos. For small jobs, like those
around heating and cooling pipes, a
glove bag is used.
A glove bag is an airtight bag that
is sealed around the asbestos and has
gloves sewn inside of it. A worker
can put his hands in the gloves and
remove the asbestos without ever
Lauren Wimer | Photographer
Asbestos was recently removed from
beneath tiles in this ground floor restroom
in Friendly Hall.
getting exposed to it.
For larger jobs, the area is sealed
behind a wall and filtered fans are
used to create an area of negative
pressure within the work area. Even
if a hole is poked in the plastic seal
ing, the area air will rush in from the
outside and keep the asbestos from
escaping. In either case, asbestos
crews wear sealed suits and respira
tors as backup protection.
But procedures mean nothing
without trained employees to follow
them.
Allan Smith, Facilities Services
business and human resources man
ager, said Pelkey is well qualified for
the job and has to take classes and
tests every year to maintain his li
cense with the state to work with as
bestos.
“The University is lucky to have
Steve,” Smith said.
For more information on asbestos
removal and Pelkey’s program go to
facilities, uoregon. edu/safety.
benbrown@ daily emerald, com
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Back to
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Sept. 28th
019709
IN BRIEF
Parents of fallen soldier
push for memorial
for Oregon soldiers
PORTLAND — The parents of an
Oregon soldier who was killed last
fall in Iraq are leading an effort to
build a memorial to all Oregon sol
diers who lose their lives in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
A proposal to build the memorial
on the Capitol mall in Salem is un
der consideration, and has been en
dorsed by the Oregon Department of
Veterans’ Affairs, which owns the
property that includes memorials for
fallen soldiers from other wars.
Clay and M.J. Kesterson, whose
son Erik was killed in a November
helicopter crash, have drawn up
plans, and arranged for volunteers
to help with construction. The In
dependence couple has also set up
a nonprofit corporation to raise
money and deal with financing for
the project.
Now they are seeking corporate
sponsors and private donors for
the $500,000 it will take to build
the memorial.
“This is my therapy,” M.J. Kester
son told The Oregonian. “1 thought
about how I was ever going to get
w ^ ■ ■ rw ^ ■ ■ w m m
through this. Rather than lock my
self in the house and do nothing, 1
wanted to be proactive."
This week, Clay Kesterson has set
up a table a 6-foot-long table at the
Pendleton Roundup, with American
flags on either side and a banner
that says “Freedom isn’t Free.”
“I hope to talk to a lot of people,”
he said. “We want to give people the
opportunity to donate to this memo
rial we’re building.”
The Kestersons hope to have the
project completed by Nov. 15, 2005,
the two-year anniversary of their
son’s death.
— Associated Press
■ ■> — TW
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