Asbestos is being removed from the EMU after it was discovered by contractors repairing floors damaged by heavy rains in January, but officials said it does not pose a risk to building users.
The non-airborne variety of asbestos, a cancer-causing mineral fiber formerly used widely in construction, was found in the glue that holds the wood floor to underlying concrete on three levels of the EMU near the UO Ticket Office.
Inhaled asbestos fibers have been linked to lung cancer and other lung diseases, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site.
The EMU asbestos is non-friable, which means it cannot be crushed or pulverized and made airborne, said Steve Pelkey, property and safety programs manager for Facilities Services. This puts it in the low-risk category, he said.
“Any fibers in it are bound up in the matrix of the material and cannot be liberated from the material to be breathed,” Pelkey said. “It’s mostly a disposal issue.”
The removal process, which began at 8 p.m. Monday, should take only one night, Pelkey said.
“We try to do things at a little bit of a higher standard to be cautious,” Pelkey said. “Mostly so that people feel comfortable with what we’re doing.”
The floors are part of the original EMU construction and did not pose a health risk before the asbestos was found, Pelkey said.