Asbestos discovered during Abingdon Elementary gym renovations

School leaders at Abingdon Elementary say a construction crew began renovating the school’s gym floor on August 6. Days later, maintenance staff became concerned that the construction crew had encountered flooring that contained the potentially cancer-causing substance, asbestos. Then, on August 14, a sample that was analyzed came back positive. Since the beginning of the year, the students have been unable to use the gym or cafeteria after dust from the renovations was discovered outside of the quarantine areas. Although the doors to the site were covered, a school staff member spoke at a school board meeting on September 9 and indicated there was visibly dust in the hallways and on the cafeteria tables. School system officials say there is an ongoing internal and external review and the VA Occupational Safety & Health program have confirmed the incident is currently under investigation. Officials say the full investigation could take several months.