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No airborne asbestos fibers found in Bastrop County Historic Jail after testing

The Bastrop County Historic Jail has been evacuated due to a small amount of asbestos exposure after the wrath of Hurricane Harvey, county officials said in a press release Wednesday.
Courtesy: www.bastroptexas.net

After the Bastrop County Historic Jail was evacuated due to a small amount of asbestos exposure following wreckage from Hurricane Harvey, air testing results showed that there was no airborne asbestos fibers in the building.

Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape said on Feb. 21 that following the test, trained workers were able to clean and remove much of the furniture and fixtures from the offices as well as work items like computers, files and desk contents.

Pape said the jail will remain closed and off-limits pending the development of a plan to abate or remediate asbestos in the wall plaster and flooring. With all County functions now relocated, they did not set a deadline for this work to be completed. He said the Commissioners Court will be considering options and developing a plan soon.

Pape said in a previous press release he asked all departments to vacate their offices in the historic jail once he became aware of the asbestos testing results.

Indigent Health Care and Prescription Assistance were moved to the Tuck Building in Bastrop, Civil Process staff were moved to temporary offices in the jail complex, and juries are now being held in other rooms of the courthouse.

All offices are now open for business as usual, Pape said.

Pape released this statement on Feb. 14:

Our main concern in this matter is the health and safety of our employees and the public. Every supporting department, including IT, Purchasing, the Auditor’s Office, the Office of Emergency Management, Engineering, and General Services is helping relocate staff and get the displaced services up and running. We believe that all will be ready to open for business by Tuesday, February 20th at 8:00 am at the Grady Tuck Building, 104 Loop 150, Bastrop (the Emergency Management offices).

Any questions, comments, or concerns can be addressed to Pape's office. The contact information for the County judge's office can be found here.

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