The removal of asbestos material will commence from July 1  at the University of Guyana and the campus is expected to be evacuated by June 30, according to Deputy Registrar Vincent Alexander.

Alexander yesterday told the media that the $200M exercise is expected to last two months and it would see asbestos being removed from some 15 buildings at the Turkeyen campus.

While the material, which is a health hazard, is being removed Alexander said that the Dennis Irvine dormitory at Goedverwagting will be used for administrative operations while a tentative agreement has been reached for summer classes to be held at the Tutorial High School. Library services will be facilitated at the university’s location in Pere Street, Kitty.

According to Alexander during the period of the asbestos removal no university staffer will be disadvantaged in terms of remuneration.

He said too that special security arrangements are being put in place at the campus and other locations. He added that the university environment will be tested by its technical team before staffers return to the location.

Alexander said the tender for contractors to remove the asbestos was put out on June 3 but he could not say who the contractor is since the entire project is being handled by the Ministry of Education.

The project will be done in two phases – phase one is for the removal of the asbestos and phase two will see the replacement of material and it is possible that staffers could return to the campus before the project is completed.

The asbestos problem was highlighted in the news in the middle of last year following protests from staff members of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Hector Edwards, Head of Business and Management Studies, had told this newspaper that he and staff members were not prepared to continue working in their building as they were exposed to the asbestos substance.

He had said the issue was pending for a number of years and the administration was doing nothing.
After their protests  Edwards and his staff members were subsequently moved to another building. After the issue was highlighted in the media the university’s administration took samples and sent them to be tested at a Canadian laboratory, Resource Environmental Associates (REA),  for confirmation during  July 14-15, 2007.