Despite continued efforts, asbestos is still a problem plaguing Western Washington University. The deadly substance can still be found in every residence hall on campus, with the exception of Edens, Ridgeway Highland, Sigma and Omega. In addition to this asbestos issue, asbestos has now been reported to be a problem in another building on campus.
Asbestos was once prized for a high resistance to flame and chemical damage, but is now reviled because it is a carcinogen linked to diseases such as pleural mesothelioma.
Exposure to airborne asbestos particles can pose potential health risks because the particles can become permanently lodged in the soft tissues of the body.
It is now being reported that asbestos is also located on campus, in a building known as the Armory.
The building once housed members of the National Guard, a roller rink and, until fairly recently, the scene shop for Western’s theater department. The building now lies vacant, as the theater department moved out of the building due to concerns about the asbestos present in the building.
Western junior Jessica Young said she had her first experience with the dangerous conditions in the Armory during her first year at Western. While gathering some props on the second floor of the building, Jessica fell through an aging section of flooring.
In addition to the structural dangers, Young said theater students working in the Armory eventually had to start wearing breathing masks due to fears over the mold and asbestos issues plaguing the building.