Asbestos News

After reportedly being delayed for decades, the cleanup of asbestos and other hazardous materials at a former industrial site in New Bedford, Massachusetts, is finally underway, The Associated Press reports.

According to the news provider, in addition to asbestos, the site contains solvents, mercury and PCBs. At this point, workers are only readying the site for the substances to be removed, the news source said.

Marilyn Wade, the project coordinator for the engineering company hired by the owners of the property, told the Standard-Times that the actual removal of the contaminated soil may not begin until late April or May. Overall, the project is expected to take five months, she added.

Jim Ricci, the New Bedford's water superintendent, said that precautions are being taken at the site to ensure that the hazardous materials are not released into the air.

The inhalation of asbestos fibers has been proven to cause a range of serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.