Asbestos removal delayed at 2 P.E.I. schools

Asbestos will not be removed from two P.E.I. schools this summer as originally planned.

East Wiltshire Intermediate in Cornwall and Queen Elizabeth Elementary in Kensington will remain open and fully functional for the school year, but steps will be taken to prevent the asbestos from becoming a safety hazard, the province says.

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"There will be protocols put in place for operation of the school so the tiles aren't disturbed and if they have to be, there will be a protocol around that, to do that in an appropriate way," said Alan Maynard, a director with the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy.

This spring, nine Island schools were found to have asbestos tiles in the ceilings. One is Three Oaks High School in Summerside, but that building is undergoing a broader renovation project.

That left eight schools with asbestos that the province said would be fixed this summer. But when it got to the tendering process, it was found that getting eight schools done all at once would not be feasible.

Six will have asbestos removed

Work is now underway to remove asbestos from four of the schools. Work at two others, Ecole La-Belle-Cloche in Souris and St. Louis Elementary School, will be started in the next couple of weeks.

East Wiltshire Intermediate and Queen Elizabeth Elementary, meanwhile, will have to wait until next summer to be free of asbestos.

The school board says principals are communicating the news to staff and parents, and the school board will be available for any questions from parents.

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