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Asbestos in 21 Buildings at CSU Northridge

Twenty-one buildings at California State University-Northridge are contaminated with asbestos. The asbestos appears in tile floors, thermal pipe insulators, and various forms of pipes used in the sprawling campus near Los Angeles.

Emails have started trickling from university administrators to students and staff who live or office in the affected buildings. In addition buildings are now being identified with visible stickers and placards notifying visitors of the presence of asbestos.

While asbestos is not dangerous if it is intact, it can become hazardous when it is damaged, disturbed, or deteriorates. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a significant amount of asbestos was removed from campus buildings as damaged buildings were remodeled or demolished.

If released into the air, asbestos fibers can then be inhaled which over time may lead to serious health problems. Currently CSUN lacks procedures to regularly check and monitor asbestos from the identified areas.

Asbestos is not uncommon in older structures and can be found on numerous college campuses though many colleges and universities have been to remove asbestos from campus buildings. According to school officials, no plans exist to remove the asbestos in the near future.