When any one of Siena’s residence halls is mentioned in conversation, a myriad of images may spring to mind: the universally dreaded first floor of Plassmann with its exposed pipes (affectionately dubbed ‘The Pit’), the highly coveted sinks in Hines, or the private bathrooms and air-conditioned bliss of Padua that underclassman can only dream about, to name a few. Yet a recent development has added a new one to the list: asbestos in the walls and flooring of Hines Hall.
Asbestos, a carcinogen that causes lung cancer, was originally used as insulation during the construction of buildings in the 1940s-1980s. Its use declined once its adverse health effects were discovered, but many older buildings still contain asbestos—which we now know includes our very own Hines Hall.
This was the realization of a particular student (Student A), whose room—pictured above—underwent maintenance over Winter Break. However, finding out that there was asbestos in their dorm was incidental, as Student A learned about the issue not from residence directors but from a student-athlete who came back from break early. This student-athlete (Student B), who lives a few doors down from the affected room, recounts returning “from the team’s training trip on the 11th and [finding] one room taped off”. Upon returning to Hines, Student B was greeted by red tape slung across their neighbor’s doorway, plastic sheets encasing the furniture, and signs in bold, blaring letters announcing the presence of asbestos.
When Student A returned to campus on the 13th, they discovered their room in a state of disarray. Student A remembers “all the furniture in the middle of [their] room, the beds moved out of place, and everything tarped. It smelled like paint, and the window had been taped shut so the fumes couldn’t be released”. While it was obvious that maintenance had been in their room, Student A knew nothing about the asbestos—the warning sign taped across the door had been removed between the 11th and 13th. Thus, Student A only found out that there was asbestos in their room when Student B, worried about Student A’s health, later reached out and told them what they saw.
Only then did the pieces start coming together. Housing had contacted Student A at the beginning of the new year after finding a minor water leak from the heater, assuring them that the fix would be quick and simple (no mention of asbestos at all). A week later, Housing informed Student A that their room and belongings sustained some water damage but emphasized that the damage and subsequent repair was minor. Yet somewhere along the way, this “simple fix” must have turned into a maintenance monstrosity: the water leak seemingly damaged the wall, exposing asbestos. The student was left to piece together this story alone, as Housing didn’t notify them about anything else beyond the initial heating issue. At the time of our interview, Student A didn’t know how and why there was asbestos in their room. It’s also worth noting that the student and her roommate experienced cough and scratchy throats the week after moving in, which could have been due to the paint fumes.
What’s most alarming is the lack of communication between the housing directors and students about something that potentially poses a threat to student health. Even if asbestos levels were safety controlled by the time students returned to their rooms, they have a right to know about work done to their space. This information gap begs the question: How was the asbestos dealt with? Is it safe for students to be living in these conditions? What is going to be done to prevent future asbestos exposures? If there is asbestos in other older buildings on campus, aren’t many students at risk of asbestos exposure?
Siena’s Director of Facilities Operations, Rich Tortorici, was contacted to shed light on these questions. According to Tortorici, asbestos is only dangerous when airborne, and Hines contains non-friable asbestos—the version that is not easily aerosolized and thus poses low to no health risk. Tortorici went on to explain that a steam leak caused the exposure, and out of an abundance of caution, Siena hired a contractor to professionally remove the asbestos. Additionally, a final air sample was sent to the lab upon the completion of construction to ensure the room was free of harmful material. Because there was “no danger to the occupants and the incident occurred over break”, Housing did not feel the need to notify the residents about the asbestos maintenance.
There’s no doubt that the health of students is Siena’s number one priority, and it’s reassuring to know that the asbestos in Hines does not pose health risks. Yet the bottom line is that students appreciate knowing what’s happening to their spaces, threat or no threat. The information about the nature of this asbestos was not readily available to students, underscoring the main issue at hand. It does not have to do with the safety of the operation but rather the transparency throughout the maintenance process. Student A was not aware of the non-friable nature of the asbestos or air sample test until we (not Housing) relayed the information on January 29th. While the desire to avoid raising unnecessary concerns is understandable, it’s important for Siena to be upfront with issues that could possibly be misconstrued. When a student sees an asbestos warning sign plastered to the door, they’re going to assume the worst unless directly reassured otherwise.
Hines is not the only building on Siena’s campus containing asbestos, as it was the industry standard to utilize the fiber during construction before the 1980s. However, Siena’s campus is just one of many locations throughout the country with a surprising abundance of asbestos. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 20% of public buildings in the country still contain the fiber—but as long as it remains undisturbed, we are safe.
As one of the oldest buildings on campus, Hines is no stranger to maintenance issues. Its age is becoming more and more apparent with this growing list of ailments—just last semester, the second floor flooded, resulting in damage to student’s rooms and belongings. So despite the sinks and high ceilings, incoming freshmen students may want to think twice before ranking Hines as their number one housing choice.