A new, comprehensive report commissioned by the City of Staunton verifies the absence of asbestos in the debris that fell from the ceiling on the third floor of the Cochran Judicial Center in July as well as in the entire courthouse.
The city hired HDH Technical to perform a second, independent, OSHA-compliant asbestos inspection in the Staunton courthouse last week. HDH Technical took more than 90 material samples from the ceiling, drywall, pipes, duct work and other building materials in the CJC, and the results confirm that the building is free of asbestos.
One month ago, a portion of the ceiling in the Staunton circuit court clerk’s office collapsed, prompting the clerk and staff to relocate temporarily from the third floor to the second floor during repairs. As a precaution, the City hired Hurt & Proffitt, a Lynchburg engineering firm with which the city has worked numerous times, to conduct asbestos testing on the fallen debris and oversee abatement if necessary.
The city requested the most recent inspection after a Hurt & Proffitt representative found inconsistencies in prior rounds of test results received by the firm, some of which indicated no presence of asbestos.
The city immediately hired a different firm, HDH Technical, to independently perform an extensive asbestos inspection.
Hurt & Proffitt has agreed in principle to continue working with the City to review and arrange reimbursement for reasonable expenses associated with the abatement work already completed, in reliance on Hurt & Proffitt’s original report, and for the independent inspection commissioned by the city.
“We are appreciative of Hurt & Proffitt promptly bringing this matter to the City’s attention and its willingness to resolve it,” said Steve Owen, Staunton City Manager. “The most recent test results are consistent with the City’s initial belief that the Cochran Judicial Center is asbestos-free as a result of abatement completed in the early 1990s when the building was renovated to house the city’s courts; however, under the circumstances and because we’re dealing with a 145-year-old building, we’ve taken extra precautions.”
The asbestos abatement process on the third floor of the CJC has been discontinued, and repairs to the damaged ceiling will begin shortly. The floor is expected to be reopened and reoccupied once the repair work is complete.
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