Threat of Asbestos Exposure after Fire in Building

Fire in Smith Steel Casting, an East Texas building has increased the risk of asbestos exposure in the area. Apart from being a steel casting building, it also held significance as a historic structure. It is reported that the neighbors noticed smoke coming out from the building around 6:48 pm. However, by the time fire department was called, it was already late for fire fighters to save the massive structure of 3,500 to 4,000 feet.

All the three Marshall stations brought in their personnel and equipment to the site to save whatever they could, according to City Fire Marshall Reggie Cooper. Cooper says that they had a hard time saving whatever they could and terms it as total loss. Moreover, the fire spread very rapidly from one end of the building to another and all the forces combined were unable to save it. Due to a large stack of old papers, it took very little for the fire to spread quickly.

Cooper further adds that the building owners are steeping up security and the fire department is also taking extra precautions due to unsafe structure of the place. Also, the interior steel members of the building are sagging and the metal roof may collapse any time, thus people are asked to stay away from the place.

Cooper also adds that the building is very dangerous right now as it is full of asbestos. People have been warned to stay away from asbestos for sake of their own safety. Asbestos is a very deadly mineral and can lead to mesothelioma and other lung diseases.

Apartment Complex in Virginia Evacuated After Asbestos Scare

Four buildings of an apartment complex in Virginia have been evacuated by the authorities after it was discovered that they are contaminated with the deadly mineral asbestos.

These four buildings belong to the Oyster Point Palace Apartments in New Port News, Virginia. According to a story run on WWEC.TV, tenants of all the four buildings found a letter hanging from their doorknobs on Thursday. This letter stated that the walls and ventilation systems of their apartments are clogged with asbestos and they are at risk of mesothelioma cancer.

According to Twane Shelton, a relatively new resident at Oyster Point, there was no knock on the door and he calls it very sneaky and suspicious. Shelton shares the apartment with his roommate and both expressed their dissatisfaction with the management saying that they were placed into a filthy apartment when they moved in.

When an unlocked apartment in the complex was inspected by a TV station, a plastic sheet covering and asbestos warning signs were found a few feet away from the rooms Shelton and his roommate Ryan Spiker share. Both men are very angry and say that they were duped by the management into moving to an unhealthy complex.

Shane says that the management knew about it but did not bother telling the residents about the danger they are living in. They are also concerned as they spent all their money to rent this apartment and now they are broke without any other place to live.

Meanwhile, the management at Oyster Point Palace said that they had no comment to make on the situation.

Asbestos to be Cleaned from Boston School without Closing Down

According to news published in Boston Herald, asbestos has been discovered in a school in Newton, a community in the Boston area. As indicated by the news report, the authorities have decided to go ahead with the asbestos removal project from the school without closing it down.

Initially, it was planned that asbestos materials would be removed from the Newton North building site during the summer break. However, according to a new statement from spokesman, the asbestos materials will not be removed from the school until the students return in fall this year.

A licensed asbestos removal firm, McPhail Associates Inc. has been hired to remove asbestos materials from the school building. They say that the sporadic asbestos pieces found underneath the high school site in April do not belong to dangerous form of asbestos. They belong to the harmless category of asbestos and are not hazardous to human health. However, the state is taking all the necessary steps to ensure safe removal of asbestos products and for this purpose they have also hired a professional asbestos removal company.

However, the most important thing is the presence of asbestos in school and its consequent inhalation by the children. Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma, a deadly cancer and other lung diseases too. Although, the asbestos found here is said to be of the safest kind, yet it is important that all the precautionary measures are taken to make this process as smooth and secure as possible.

Ex-Councilman Sentenced for Illegal Removal of Asbestos

The ex-councilman of East St. Louis Ill city, Charles Powell Jr. was sentenced to prison term of 15 months and two years of supervised release on Monday for illegal removal of asbestos during renovation of building, violating the federal Clean Air Act.

The ex-council man, who is also the owner of Powell’s Demolition Co., was tried in the federal district court for the Southern District of Illinois. In June, Powell had already pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the clean air act and one count of failure to notify the concerned authorities before removing the harmful asbestos material.

Powell is accused of removing asbestos materials from a 12 story Spivey Building in East St. Louis when he entered into a contract with real estate developer Phil Cohn in 2002 for converting the building into an office complex and shopping center. Powell did not take any preventive measures for workers during the renovation work and did not follow the EPA safety rules of wetting the asbestos before removing it. Along with this, Powell is also guilty of not consulting the contract waste haulers and notifying the Illinois Environment Protection Agency regarding the asbestos removal.

The other party in this case, Cohn has also been indicated and sentenced for his involvement in the renovation project to 60 moths jail and five years supervised release on the same changes in 2005.

Asbestos was commonly used in thermal insulation and other building material for its fire retardant properties. However, it is a deadly carcinogen too and causes malignant mesothelioma cancer and impairment of body organs that result in death. Due to the severity of diseases caused by asbestos, its use has been banned by the EPA of US. According to EPA safety standards, all asbestos material must be wet before it is handled to avoid asbestos exposure.

This case has been investigated jointly by the EPA and FBI and prosecuted by the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Illinois.

Mining Company Urged To Use Profits to Make Mining Safer

According to a report published by the Cleveland Cliffs Mining Company, their profits for second quarter have increased by 13%. Their high sales volume in both North America as well as Asia-Pacific is concrete evidence that the company is making its presence felt globally and establishing its reputation.

However, along with soaring profits and high sales, there has also been an increase in the mining related illnesses and deaths that have been contributed to asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. Taconite, the mineral mined and processed in the Cleveland Cliffs has been attribute as the main cause of mesothelioma cancer and other related illnesses as it is said to be contaminated with asbestos, a deadly carcinogen.

Keeping this in mind along with high profits the Cleveland Cliffs is making, Tom Anzelc- State Rep. Dist. 3A Balsam Township has urged the mining company to invest money in new and effective technologies and equipment to lessen the workers’ exposure to asbestos and taconite dust in all phases of taconite processing.

According to Tom Anzelc, it is the moral and ethical responsibility of the company to protect the lives of people working and to ensure their safety and health. The company can afford to install latest machinery and take protective measures to safeguard people against the deadly carcinogen asbestos.

Tom makes this appeal to the mining company not only on the behalf of the state of Minnesota but on the behalf of all those people too who are suffering from mesothelioma cancer all over the world. He appeals to all those companies that are using asbestos and put their workers’ lives at risk.

Chicago’s Landmark Pittsfield Building Closed after Asbestos Threat

The Illinois Department of Public Health ordered an immediate halt to renovation working going on at the Pittsfield Building, 55 E. Washington, a Chicago landmark due to improper asbestos removal. Nine floors i.e. from 13 to 21 floors of the 38 storied building were closed a week ago while the rest continue to be occupied by the residents.

Along with the building, the elevator entrances and the ductwork of the Art Deco-Gothic building has also been sealed to prevent any possible health risks to people. It all began on 30th July when someone contacted the City Department of Environment with the probability of asbestos exposure in the building. As a result, the City Department alerted the Illinois Department of Public Health and inspectors were sent to the site to investigate the matter. They stopped the revocation work for the day and since then, they have been making enquiries into the matter.

All the people from the affected floors were evacuated and they haven’t been allowed to return. The residents are very concerned about the situation as asbestos inhalation can lead to serious diseases like mesothelioma cancer and asbestos.

The air will be checked for asbestos particles but it cannot be done until the cleanup process is complete. However, the health inspector recognized some asbestos material that might have been released when the asbestos used in the building was disturbed. The spokesperson for State Health Department, Melaney Arnold says that buildings like Pittsfield, built in 1927 could have used asbestos insulation pipes and ceiling tiles. Although, the owners of the building have been identified, yet, they are not available for comment.

According to the spokesperson, the State Department and the building owners are working together on a cleanup plan to reopen the floors as soon as possible. Any asbestos exposure can lead to deadly diseases like mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos related lung problems that can prove fatal. Thus, it is important that strict action is taken to prevent public exposure to asbestos.