University faces health violation hearing

After some legal wrangling, University officials will attend a health department hearing next week following the alleged discovery of more exposed asbestos in Metcalf Hall.

When Estella Papassavas arrived to collect her son, freshman Foy Savas for the winter break, she said that she stepped into her son's room to find the "pulverized" powder of the floor tiles littered about, which she believes to have been asbestos. According to Pappassavas, her son had broken a tile that she says contained asbestos, and the asbestos became airborne and spread throughout his room.

With what Tufts officials called an "unprecedented" and "panicked" attitude, Papassavas withdrew her son from Tufts and demanded a hearing at the Somerville Board of Health, alleging that Tufts had violated health codes.

Earlier this week, Papassavas told the Daily that she had documentation proving that her son was exposed to dangerous asbestos while living in room 206 of Metcalf. Papassavas said the Health Department hearing, scheduled for next Wednesday, "is going to open up a can of worms and perhaps turn a few heads of trustees and administrators."

However, University officials, including Environmental Health and Safety Manager Nick Magliano, have denied that Savas was exposed to asbestos. Magliano said that Tufts hired an independent laboratory, Covino Environmental Associates, to test over 100 samples throughout the west wing of Metcalf for asbestos over winter break, and all the tests returned negative results.

"[Papassavas] was painting a picture of powder over the floors and people tracking it around," Magliano said. "This simply was not the case. We have test results to prove it." The University agrees that the there was a crack in an asbestos tile, but says that does not pose any health risks.

In a letter to the University, Papassavas wrote that she and her son had "lost faith in the school" and alleged that the University's response to the asbestos was delayed and "unethical."

Administrators in the Dean of Students' office insist that Papassava's letter was the first time they heard about any asbestos problems. Associate Dean of Students Marisel Perez -- in a letter responding to Savez's decision to withdraw from the University -- denied that Savas communicated the issue with his RA. Perez also said in the letter that the University removed all the cracked tiles from the room as soon as the situation was brought to their attention.

Initially, the Somerville Health Department denied Papassavas' request for a hearing on the grounds that there was no evidence that indicated a health violation. Health Department Director Jack Vondras wrote Papassavas to say that laboratory tests done by Covino could not conclusively indicate that there was any asbestos exposure in the room.

Nevertheless, the State Department of Public Health ordered that the Somerville Board of Health do a full investigation of Savas' room. A month later, Papassavas re-petitioned and was granted a hearing.

According to Magliano, the order from the state may result from a debate over what constitutes asbestos exposure. University officials maintain that the asbestos used in the vinyl floor tiles throughout the university is harmless. Tufts, the City of Somerville, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agree that a crack in a tile does not present a health hazard, contrary to the views of the Massachusetts Department of Public Heath.

Friable, or fragile, asbestos tiles can release microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. Long-term exposure to friable asbestos can cause asbestosis, a fatal lung disease.

According to Director of Facilities Ron Esposito, there has been no evidence to suggest that there are any friable asbestos tiles at the University.

All the tiles in Savas' old room and around the stairs were replaced over winter break, in what Esposito called "a proactive measure going over and above what is required on the part of the University."

The facilities department finished a complete inspection of Metcalf then and concluded that there was no current health risk.

Esposito said that the nine-by-nine-inch tiles found in Metcalf that commonly contain asbestos are present in several other dormitories around campus. Over the summer, the University's deferred maintenance plan calls for inspections of Houston, Hill, and Miller halls for asbestos and the removal of cracked tiles, as previously planned before this incident.