Two school districts here in the Yakima Valley are gearing up for major asbestos cleanup projects.
The cancer causing material will be removed from Wapato and Eisenhower High Schools. Wapato High School employees finished clearing the science wing this week. After the asbestos is cleaned, the building will be demolished to make room for an all-new facility. Wapato School Spokesperson Mike Balmelli tells our news partner KIMA Action News, "We just can't have it torn down with all that in it, so we certainly have to go through the process of safely removing that material so we can demolish and move ahead from there. So unfortunate that we have to do that, but it's just a part of the process and we knew it was there." Wapato's cleanup is expected to cost at least $500,000. The Yakima School District cleanup is scheduled for next year.

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