PARK CITY - Park City Schools closed early for the holidays after a "suspicious material" was found by a contractor.
According to a statement from Superintendent Dave Whitesell, the contractor was working on Monday to remove a section of the roof that blew off in a recent windstorm and discovered a material later identified as vermiculite.
"Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in some older building materials for insulation and fire resistance'," Whitesell said. "We are taking this seriously because some older vermiculite products can be contaminated with asbestos, and that cannot be confirmed by sight—testing is required."
A sample of the material has been submitted for testing, Whitesell said, and results were expected back on Tuesday.
As a result, schools were closed on Tuesday "out of an abundance of caution" to ensure the safety of students and staff.
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Read the full notice here:
This afternoon, while our contractor was removing the portion of the roof that had not blown off, they found a suspicious material identified as vermiculite. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in some older building materials for insulation and fire resistance. We are taking this seriously because some older vermiculite products can be contaminated with asbestos, and that cannot be confirmed by sight—testing is required.
A sample has been submitted for testing, and we expect results tomorrow. MP Environmental Services of Billings and Tetra Tech are assisting with identification and subsequent abatement.
Given the uncertainty, and out of an abundance of caution, school will be canceled tomorrow to ensure the safety of students and staff.
We will share additional information as it becomes available.
Have a wonderful and Merry Christmas!
Dave Whitesell
Superintendent
