NYC-WTC_000152373

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Of the 12 to 15 air samples taken at Stuyvesant last week by experts hired by the Board of Ed, all showed below 70 asbes­ tos fibers per square millimeter — the EPA’s action level. Stuyve- sant’s levels were in the 20s last week, Orlan said. Of the dust samples taken, three of 35 tested positive for as­ bestos. The dust tests cannot measure asbestos as precisely as air samples. Until Tuesday, emergency workers had used Stuyvesant as a staging area for the massive ex­ cavation effort six blocks away. Students, who fled the elite high school in terror after the jets slammed into the towers, have been attending classes at Brook­ lyn Technical High School. New tests set In a massive effort this week, environmental crews wearing disposable suits and respirators set up airtight work areas at Stuyvesant to remove dust and clean all surfaces and air vents. Workers enter and exit through a decontamination chamber to avoid spreading asbestos fibers. Work at Stuyvesant is expect­ ed to be finished Wednesday, . when a battery of new air and dust tests will be performed by numerous agencies, including the Board of Ed and the EPA. Cleaning efforts can bring as­ bestos levels near zero, experts said. The board is planning regular testing of the eight Ground Zero schools over the next few months for asbestos, harmful dust that can trigger asthma and other environmental pollutants.

PQQ^ S NYC-WTC_000152385