Zimmerman Library turned its ventilation fans back on Wednesday when the west wing of the library was given a clean bill of health after its asbestos-removal project was completed.
Dirt in the supply ducts hit smoke detectors when the fans went on, triggering the fire alarm. Library staff members were briefly evacuated.
The abandoned steam lines in the west wing of the library were wrapped in asbestos, said Ed Padilla, program manager at Zimmerman Library. The west wing includes the Willard Reading Room, Grand Hall and three study rooms.
According to the Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs Department's Asbestos Awareness report, asbestos-containing material can be found in "nearly all buildings, workplaces and areas of the University."
When UNM's Physical Plant employees noticed the controls for heating and cooling systems in the library needed to be replaced, Lowell White, an industrial hygiene specialist at UNM, requested the asbestos in the entire wing undergo removal.
"Regulations state if you're going to renovate or demolish a building, one of the things you have to prove is that there is no asbestos," White said. "If there is asbestos, you have to abate it."
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The process required extra protection and double containment. White was in charge of auditing the process, dropping by unexpectedly to make sure all the procedures were being followed.
"People express worry and concern, but everything was fine," White said.
Though it was not required by asbestos regulations, White set up pumps around the area to make sure the air was clean. Unfortunately, the library was simultaneously having its carpet redone and the pumps could not distinguish between asbestos fibers and carpet fibers, he said. White ordered more pumps to try to widen his sample and get a more accurate picture of the asbestos readings in the area.
White said the carpet project complicated things.
"We had no choice," he said. "I went to the contractors and said 'this is a problem because my numbers are going to go up,' but dollars made the decision."
Still, the numbers representing asbestos in the air came in consistently lower than what is required by asbestos regulations.
In preparation for the asbestos removal project, White met with library employees to explain the procedure and inform them about asbestos.
Asbestos is only hazardous when it is in a friable state, which means it can be broken up by hand, releasing fibers into the air. Asbestos was used in more than 3,000 building materials before 1981 and is "the best insulator known to man," White said.
Precautions had to be taken to protect the library's book collections. During the removal project, all ventilation systems had to be turned off in the west wing, including the air conditioner.
"Physical Plant went the extra mile and spent a lot of money on refrigeration units and dehumidifiers to protect the books and people," White said.
