University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY August 21, 1997
The Student Voice Since 1903
General Classroom Building scheduled to be torn down By Lisa Tatum
Editor in Chief
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A UCO Facilites Management workerprepares for the removal of asbestos from the General Classroom Building. (Staff photo by Lacy Amen)
Asbestos removal team eliminates campus hazards By Lisa Tatum
Editor in Chief
T
he removal of asbestos from university buildings throughout Oklahoma has become such a common occurrence that many universities—including UCO—have formed their own certified asbestos removal teams. The UCO team's latest chore will be to remove asbestos from the General Classroom Building which is scheduled for demolition this month. Thal Liggins, John Hamilton and
lagued by health hazards, and expensive maintenance requirements, UCO's General Classroom Building, located east of Evans Hall, is slated for demolition this month. University officials determined that repairs to the 49-year-old building's leaking roof and obsolete heat and air systems, along with the renovations required to bring the building up to American Disability Act standards, were too costly to justify. Mike Brown, chairman of the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges' Building Committee, said the regents voted in favor of total demolition of the building at their July 18 meeting. Brown said repairing the building would cost too much and the result would still only be a "third-class building." "By tearing the building down, we'll save money," said Brown.
Don Powers, director of safety and environmental management, agreed that trying to repair the building wouldn't be a good investment. "It's got old systems," said Powers. "It would take more money than it's worth to fix it up." In April, five offices in the building were evacuated because of high levels of mold and bacteria in the air. The high levels were caused by excessive moisture from the roof leaks and the steam pipes used to heat the building, said Powers. Some faculty who had offices in the building complained of headaches and respiratory problems before being relocated to other buildings. The remaining offices and classrooms in the building were moved this summer. Complete demolition of the building will cost about $50,000, said Jim Hurd, UCO's architectural consultant. Once university workers finish removing all asbestos insulation from the building, tear-down and removal should take 12 days, said Hurd.
Thomas Wilson make up the environmental control services division of UCO's facilities management department. The crew is licensed and certified by Oklahoma's Asbestos Maintenance and Operations Department, said Don Powers, director of safety and environmental management. Having the crew on campus saves the university money, said Powers. "We don't have to bring in outside contractors," he said, adding that such contractors can charge as much as $40 per VSee ASBESTOS, Page 9
The General Classroom Building will be demolished this month. (Staff photo by Lacy Amen)
INSIDE TODAY INDEX Editorial 2 Letters 2 Sports 10-12 Around Campus 18 Around Town 18 Classifieds 19
FEATURE Johnny Payne, novelist, playwright and folklore expert, is UCO's new artistin-residence.
ORIENTATION Task force aims to ease transitions for multigenerational students.
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NEW POSITION New Student Activities Director Lynn Means is no stranger to the university.
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