Buildings of Pennsylvania State University – Main Campus (more commonly known as Penn State University) have been identified as asbestos ridden sites. Former students, professors, faculty, and staff are at risk of contracting a related medical disease while working or learning in buildings built between the 1940s through the 1970s. Asbestos has been identified in floor tiles, ceilings, pipe insulation, HVAC duct work, lab bench tops, boilers, wall plaster, and ceiling spray at Penn State. Asbestos was determined to be in over 500 buildings on the University Park campus since investigation in 2006. It has been identified in the dorm halls, educational classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and historical landmarks, such as Old Main and Beaver Stadium. Based on this, asbestos exposure at Penn State University was most likely common.
Asbestos Exposure at Penn State University Remediation Efforts
Asbestos remediation at Penn State stopped in 1989 due to budget limitations. Asbestos exposure at Penn State University is an active danger that may be affecting current students, professors, faculty, and staff as Penn State University does not actively seek out exposure sites anymore. Since the notice of complete financial responsibility falling onto the university, their action has been subsequently put on the backburner at the expense of their students, faculty, and staff.
They have limited the remediation of asbestos in active areas to when renovations or construction projects are being conducted. Penn State University has established the Asbestos Management Program (AMP) to identify and remediate exposure sites as the university works to upgrade their facilities, but active asbestos exposure at Penn State University is still risking the exposure of many past and current faculty and staff that work, teach, learn, and live within the university park campus.
Greater Centre County Area
Teachers, miners, demolition crews, steel, construction, and quarry workers are at risk as individuals in the Centre County area for developing asbestos-related diseases. Please note that many private residences in the Centre Hall and Boalsburg area have been identified as hotspots for asbestos exposure by The State College Area Connector.
According to The State College Area Connector – Hazardous and Residual Wastes Technical Memorandum for the State College Area Connector Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) Study the following work sites have been identified as asbestos exposure sites:
- Pleasant Gap Elementary School – 230 South Main Street, Pleasant Gap, PA
- Supelco/Bellefonte Plant – 595 North Harrison Road, Bellefonte, PA
- PA Department of Transportation – State Route 45, Spring Mills, PA
- Bellefonte Area Elementary School –
As a reminder, this is not an exhaustive list of potential sites for exposure. The Halpern Law Firm fights for those suffering from asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other types of asbestos-related diseases in the state of Pennsylvania. We have localized our search for the State College and the larger Centre County region as an entity with a large working population at Penn State University and various centralized job sites that historically contain asbestos. Although there was asbestos exposure at Penn State University, you may have been exposed to asbestos within steel mills, refineries, auto repair shops, farms, firehouses, schools, engineering firms, railroads, and military sites. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we are here to help. For more information call the Halpern Law Firm at (800) 505-6000, fill out our contact form, or utilize our chat feature.
Sources:
https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/penndot/documents/
https://www.opp.psu.edu/project/up-demolition-engineering-units-sackett-wings-and-hammond
