UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A social media post is stirring up concerns over asbestos after officials said it was found at a local school.
Pictures posted on Facebook show a classroom at Parkwood High School in Union County blocked off with the words “Danger Asbestos” and crews on the roof outside the school in protective gear.
Students on campus said they’ve noticed the construction crews on campus.
"I didn't know what they were doing at first until they started taking stuff down,” said Jarvis Lotharp, a student.
A spokesperson for Union County Public School said in an email to NBC Charlotte, “UCPS is replacing canopies and windows around the Parkwood High School campus. The facilities team starts every construction/renovation project of this size with thorough and complete asbestos testing."
"We identified asbestos-containing material (ACM) in the caulking/glazing of the windows and in the gutter caulk and felt paper on two of the canopies. The impacted areas were contained during the abatement process and students who are on the campus were not impacted by this matter," the email continued.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asbestos exposure happens when a person disturbs materials containing asbestos fibers and breathes them in.
Even though school is out for the summer, students are still on campus for various activities. Parents said the school has been around for decades, and it’s not unusual to see construction projects over the summer.
"Obviously if they found it, I trust that they're going to clean it all up,” said Stephanie Mushington, a parent, “and they'll be, you know, clear by the time the kids go back to school so I'm not worried."