Students and faculty members at Fontana Middle School were exposed to potentially harmful levels of asbestos during the first two weeks of the current school year, the district has reluctantly acknowledged.
The exposure came a bout as a consequence of the district failing to complete the demolition and removal of the schools L Building by the start of the current school year on August 7.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral previously prized for its insulating and fireproofing qualities. Asbestos is composed of particulate fibers that are substantially longer than they are wide, which are friable, meaning they have a tendency to break into smaller pieces under pressure, rubbing or abrasion, becoming airborne. These microscopic fibrils if inhaled can be highly damaging to the lungs of mammals, reptiles and birds, causing dangerous lung conditions, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. In the 19th Century, manufacturers and builders began using asbestos as a thermal and electrical insulator as well as a fire retardant widely incorporated into building materials. Beginning in the 1960s, its adverse on human health began to be recognized and were more generally acknowledged in the 1970s. A substantial number of buildings constructed before the 1980s contained asbestos.
Insulation, flooring, roofing materials, ceiling tiles, drywall, joint compounds and pipes commonly were partially composed of asbestos. Left intact, those items would not result in asbestos fibers being liberated in dangerous quantities, but upon being disturbed, asbestos fibers can be lofted into the air. Consequently, upon the demolition of old buildings, it is advisable to confine the debris beneath coverings such as tarps until it is removed and buried underground in a landfill and for those surfaces where the materials have lain to be wet-wiped and the material capturing the fibers to be likewise deposited and buried in a landfill.
In 2023, the Fontana Unified School District tentatively committed to the demolition of Fontana Middle School’s L Building as part of a larger campus modernization project funded by Measure C. According to district officials, including in a statement released as lat as this week, the district’s intention was to undertake both the abatement of the asbestos hazard and the removal of the building “with safety protocols in place to protect students, staff, and the community”
Elements of that protocol included carrying out both the abatement work and the demolition of the building at a time when no students were present on campus and only a minimum number of district staff were present, and taking steps to ensure those present wore masks to prevent the inhalation of fibers and immediate wetting of the spots where asbestos residue had been placed followed by thorough vacuuming and disposal of materials upon which the fibers remained.
Demolition of Fontana Middle School’s L Building began in June as part of a project to replace the structure with a new two-story building relocated to another part of campus.
According to a statement put out by the district on August 14, which followed in the aftermath of the breakout of the ongoing controversy, “All abatement processes were completed in December 2024 under the supervision of certified specialists, and the district has followed all state regulations and safety protocols to ensure proper handling of materials throughout the process.”
That statement came after the fact, however, and according to individuals close to the situation, including parents with children attending school in the district, is not accurate.
According to the district, During the demolition process, crews identified pipes within the walls that were wrapped in a material requiring specialized removal. Work stopped immediately, and the District began working with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) for approval to proceed.”
Furthermore, according to the district, “Since that time, the site has remained fully contained, tarped, and fenced off to prevent disturbance and ensure safety. Out of an abundance of caution, the district began weekly testing to confirm the school site remains safe for students, staff, and the broader community. Environmental testing has confirmed that there is no health risk under current conditions.”
The Sentinel is informed that the district’s assertion that the asbestos abatement had been effectuated in December was patently false, as the concession further on in the August 14 statement that “crews identified pipes within the walls that were wrapped in a material requiring specialized removal” attests. In fact, asbestos remained in the building throughout December, January, February, March, April, May, June and July. The complete demolition of the building was supposed to have taken place in June and July, with the complete removal of the debris by the end of July. That target was not met.
It is accurate that the rubble from the building has been draped with tarps. In some cases, however, the Sentinel is informed, those tarps were torn, ripped and/or sliced open, allowing friable particles to float into the air.
District personnel were exposed to the potentially hazardous material as early as June and in some cases remained exposed throughout July and into August.
School began on August 7, at which point, at least a handful of students were put in proximity to the demolition site.
Thoughout that time, there were delays on the removal of the rubble.
“On Aug. 13, AQMD granted approval for the removal of the rubble and the continuation of the L Building demolition,” according to the district’s August 15 statement posted to the internet, specifically the California School News Report: Fontana Unified Emphasizes Safety in Update on Fontana Middle School L Building Demolition | California School News Report “This work will resume as soon as possible and will be conducted during non-school hours to minimize disruption to the school community.”
The August 14 statement continues, “’While we couldn’t have predicted these delays, our top priority throughout this entire project is the safety of our students, staff, and community,’” Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. ‘We appreciate our community’s patience as we work through these unexpected setbacks, and we remain committed to completing this project as efficiently and responsibly as possible.’ The District will continue to provide updates on construction progress as work advances toward the completion of this modernization project.”
On the Facebook page for the public group What’s Gong On In Fontana? was the following posting made late last week:
“Urgent Safety Alert: Asbestos Risk at Fontana Middle School
“It has come to our attention that Fontana Middle School (FMS) still has asbestos present on its property, and our children are attending school with this dangerous material around them. Asbestos fibers can become airborne if the material is disturbed, putting anyone in the vicinity at risk. Our children, teachers, and staff are vulnerable to these dangerous fibers, and it’s critical that we address this issue immediately to ensure their safety.”
Fontana Middle School is the oldest school still in use in Fontana Unified. It originally opened as Fontana Junior High School in September 1928.
According to the district, it will “continue to provide updates on construction progress as work advances toward the completion of this modernization project.”
-Mark Gutglueck