— ministry baulks at lacquering floors

A team began testing the air quality at the University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen Campus on Friday, after the Education Ministry agreed to have that exercise undertaken, but the testers fled soon after when they found asbestos material on the ground.

Last Friday, a team headed by the contractor of the A&E Consultancy visited the campus to test the air. The team started work but quickly left the campus after members observed that there was asbestos material on the ground. The consultancy company was hired by the ministry following repeated requests by the UG Asbestos Technical Committee.

The ministry agreed to test air quality on the Turkeyen campus, but it is now refusing to have the floors of the affected buildings lacquered, which sources say is necessary to hold down unseen fibres. Sources yesterday told Stabroek News that advisors to Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, have staunchly opposed the lacquering of the floors. They are only in favour of painting of the walls, which has already begun. “But it is important that the floor be lacquered so as any asbestos fibre that maybe present will be paste down and not affect anyone,” a source said yesterday.

Reports are that the company has the equipment to conduct the test and it was the same company that was used to test the air at asbestos affected schools. After the air testing team left the campus, a ministry team visited to remove the asbestos material on the ground.

Yesterday they commenced painting the walls, but the air testing team has no intention of returning until the floors are lacquered as its members do not want to expose themselves to any danger.

Stabroek News understands that the further delay may affect the commencement of the new academic year and students and staff members are becoming worried.

Earlier this year Deputy Registrar of UG, Vincent Alexander, had announced that the $200 million exercise was expected to last two months and it would see asbestos removed from some 15 buildings at the Turkeyen Campus. The entire campus was shut down. The administrative staff was moved to the Dennis Irving dormitory at Goedverwagting and summer classes were held at the Tutorial High School. Library services are meanwhile being facilitated at the university’s office in Pere Street, Kitty.

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, told this newspaper at the time that he and staff members were not prepared to continue working in their building as they were exposed to the asbestos.

He said the issue was pending for a number of years and the administration was doing nothing.
After their protests, Edwards and his staff were moved to another building. The university administration then took samples and sent them to be tested at a Canadian laboratory, Resource Environmental Associates (REA), for confirmation last year.