At Cal Poly, some things haven’t changed for decades. Lead and asbestos lurk inside the buildings built before 1978 and multiple old, large sinks on campus spurt excessive amounts of water. But, for one reason or another, they still remain on campus.
Lead it be
Manufacture and use of lead products was banned in California in 1978 after it was deemed hazardous — although it is only hazardous to human health when it’s disturbed and becomes airborne. Many of the old buildings at Cal Poly, however, have lead paint on the walls.
According to the California Department of Public Health’s website, lead exposure damages the brain, nerves, red blood cells, kidneys and reproductive systems. It can cause high blood pressure, miscarriage and other health problems. It can also harm fetuses if pregnant women are exposed to it, but it is most dangerous for children under 6, because it can result in learning and attention problems.
Laurie Salo, the supervising environmental health specialist for consumer protection of San Luis Obispo County, said the lead paint is only dealt with when it is going to be disturbed, such as when a building is undergoing construction.
“We were made aware of a couple locations on the Cal Poly campus that were tested and confirmed to be leaded,” Salo said. “They were going to do construction, and a specialist tested the paint before removing it. Cal Poly did the appropriate protocol and followed all the correct lead abatement procedures.”
Because the lead paint was dealt with in the correct way, Salo said there have been no lead-related health problems reported by students.
“We saw (lead paint reported) two different times, and both times, procedures were followed appropriately,” Salo said. “I have not heard of anyone trying to blame Cal Poly for lead problems.”
Even if no lead-related problems at Cal Poly have been reported to date, lead problems can still arise from things such as dust. The rubber mats used in the Orfalea Family and ASI Children’s Center were tested for dust in June 2007.
Tim Hastings, the Cal Poly environmental health specialist, said he knew products, such as the mats, could contain lead. After testing them, he said results came back a month later showing the mats contained some lead. The information was forwarded to Salo’s office and the California Department of Public Health, so if additional centers used the same mats, they could be removed.
“Parents were notified, children were given blood tests and all kids came back lead-free,” Salo said. “It was not a chronic exposure because they got rid of the mats. I can’t say that 100 percent of the children were tested, but I can say that no children that were tested showed any lead levels in their blood. No children tested positive for a lead burden that were part of this day care center.”
David Ragsdale, the facility services director of environmental health and safety at Cal Poly, said there is a specific process for disposing of lead-waste at Cal Poly.
Because lead-disposal is an important part of the removal procedure, there is a place on campus where lead waste can be taken. There are two large, covered waste containers kept on campus at all times for lead- or asbestos-containing materials that are removed from buildings at Cal Poly.
“We just keep them here all the time (because) there’s always remodeling going on,” Ragsdale said. “If there’s a big project, the contractors will bring their own waste containers.”
Whenever maintenance activities involve waste containing lead to lead or asbestos, facilities will put large pieces of waste in the containers, and small pieces in trash bags. These are picked up from the containers periodically, and taken to a hazardous-waste facility, Ragsdale said.
The waste containers are located on the former logging team practice field between Stenner Creek Road and Highway 1. The area is currently accessible, but a chainlink fence will be built around it in three to four months, and the area will be turned into a new service and corporation yard for maintenance to keep large equipment and storage there, Ragsdale said.
Asbestos left undisturbed
The mineral fiber known as asbestos is another aspect of pre-1978 buildings at Cal Poly which can be hazardous to health if disturbed. It too was used in a variety of different materials in buildings built on campus during that era, although it is now known to be hazardous to health if disturbed during renovation, construction or repair. Microscopic particles that become airborne can get into the lungs and cause serious health problems.
The California Department of Environmental Health’s website said lung problems caused from exposure to asbestos usually don’t appear for 20 to 30 years after exposure, although it is worse for smokers. The site also said it is recommended for people to get a physical examination if exposed to asbestos or experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, pain in the chest or abdomen, fluid coughed up from the lungs or significant weight loss.
There haven’t been any notable problems with asbestos at Cal Poly, Hastings said.
“We don’t usually have any complaints or specific concerns about asbestos,” Hastings said. “If we do, people are typically concerned about something in their work area or where construction is taking place.”
Water they thinking?
Another facet of outdated Cal Poly buildings is inefficient sinks in older bathrooms.
Older equipment, such as sinks that waste water, have already been taken out, Ragsdale said, and it’s only a matter of time before the remaining ones are replaced.
“I think they’re a pretty obsolete piece of equipment, and they’re waiting to replace them,” Ragsdale said. “I don’t think they really fix them anymore. I don’t think they can get the parts for them, is my understanding.”
Although the goal is to replace them, Ragsdale said facilities sometimes just need to do a repair and modify the sinks.
“The overriding concern is that people are able to wash their hands, and they’ll do whatever they need to do to make that happen,” Ragsdale said.
Others, such as sustainability entrepreneur Jason Hoar, said they agree Cal Poly should try modifying the sinks, instead of replacing them.
“Cal Poly could use the old sinks rather than taking them out and modify them,” Hoar said. “You don’t want to piss people off, before you create any problems, create a solution. If you want something to be changed, think about modifying it.”