Arizona Rubber Flooring Project
The Arizona School Facilities Board (SFB) is working to identify schools with urethane rubberized flooring in gymnasiums, multi-purpose rooms, cafeterias and possibly classrooms.
In the Summer of 2015, the St. David Unified School District sustained damage to their gymnasium. During the repair work, the SFB became aware the rubberized floor in the gym was releasing some mercury vapor into the air. With funding from the Building Renewal Grant Fund, gym repairs were conducted, which included removal of the flooring. Additionally, the SFB was made aware that this commonly-used urethane rubberized flooring exists in other school districts within Arizona.
The presence of this flooring material does not automatically present a concern. However, out of an abundance of caution, the SFB has teamed up with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to address health and environmental concerns, develop testing protocols, evaluate the data, and implement any necessary remediation measures.
The SFB is moving swiftly to identify those schools with urethane rubberized flooring. We surveyed all Arizona school districts and used information from the survey to identify those schools with urethane rubberized flooring, created a centralized inventory, proceeded with a testing plan, and is currently conducting any necessary corrective action.