Renovations on Silsby Hall were halted last week to remove asbestos from the building's upper levels, according to Dartmouth's Environmental Health and Safety Director Michael Blayney.
The dust from the construction raised concerns about dispersal of the cancer-causing substance into the air. Although a small amount of asbestos fibers were discovered in the construction dust, Blayney said the amount detected are well below acceptable levels.
He added that the College is being careful "to ensure that the work does not adversely affect the people occupying the space below."
Much of the asbestos being removed from Silsby is contained in the floor tiles, for which asbestos fibers were used as a binding agent.
The top levels in Silsby are being renovated for new office and classroom space since the Psychology department moved to Moore Hall earlier this fall.
The area of the building where the asbestos is being removed has been sealed off with plastic tents, and once the removal is complete regular renovation will commence.
According to Blayney, several College buildings still contain asbestos fibers but that in most of its forms, asbestos presents no danger.
"People who develop health problems have been exposed to large amounts, usually over a working lifetime," he said.
Over the last 20 years there has been "extensive removal" of asbestos-containing materials around campus. Buildings from which large amounts have been removed in recent years include Robinson Hall and the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, Blayney said.
Filtered blower motors ensure that no asbestos escapes the area and sampling pumps "make sure that the worker's methods are keeping levels where they should," said Brenda Freeland, an industrial hygienist with the College.
Samples of the airborne conditions of the building were taken last Friday night. Fibers were detected in one of the samples, but the amount recorded was far below the permitted limit.
