Theater students at Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF) were made to evacuate an area of the school after construction workers became concerned about asbestos exposure, according to a statement released by school officials. The incident reportedly happened the afternoon of Wed., June 10.
“[C]ontractors were working in a basement area replacing water supply lines and were cutting out the old piping that was wrapped in insulation,” according to the statement. “After they began cutting the piping there was a concern that the insulation wrapping the pipe may contain asbestos. The work was immediately stopped and the onsite environmental company was brought in to conduct air quality tests to identify the presence of asbestos.”
The results from those tests should be available sometime today. As a result of the incident, students in a Musical Theatre crew class were evacuated from the auditorium to the Little Theatre, the statement notes. School officials are encouraging parents to contact OPRF’s summer school director, Dr. Gwen Walker-Qualls, at (708) 434-3106, or gwalker-qualls@oprfhs.org. Walker-Qualls could not be immediately reached for comment.Â