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ISHPEMING TWP. -- For 24 years, residents of Ishpeming Township have been asking for the old West Ishpeming School building to be torn down.  But now that they've gotten their wish, they're concerned about how the demolition will be done.

“My concerns are for the safety of myself, my family, and my neighbors around the school,” says Eric Hinze, who lives across the street from the building.

The concerns are for hazardous materials that could be released into the air once the demolition process begins.

A study back in 2004 determined the building contains asbestos, lead, lead-based paint, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, which can cause cancer.  The study estimated the demolition would cost $250,000.  But earlier this year, the county awarded the demolition bid for only $166,000.

Residents are worried the county officials may be cutting corners.

"How's it going to be handled by the contractor and the county?" Hinze asks.  "I want to know what other precautions are going to be taken to monitor the environment around the building as they're taking the building down, so they can guarantee that there will be no exposure of any of those products to us."

"They are licensed to do this kind of work, they need to comply with all state and federal regulations while they're doing this asbestos work," says Marquette County Treasurer Anne Giroux.

Giroux also says she has been listening carefully to the residents.

"We definitely have an interest in hearing what the neighbors are concerned about and working with the township to come to some kind of a plan where everybody, in the end, is hopefully happy with what happens at the site," Giroux adds.

A meeting will be held on October 21 at 6 p.m. at the Ishpeming Township Hall, giving residents the opportunity to ask questions of both the contractors and the county land authority.

Demolition of the building is scheduled to start the following week.