Asbestos News
Asbestos, other hazards drive up cost of Nova Scotia demolition
A demolition project in the Canadian maritime province of Nova Scotia has hit a snag after asbestos and other hazardous waste was discovered at the site.The razing of the Rehabilitation Centre in Cole Harbour was anticipated to cost about $2 million and now that price tag may be a bit higher, with the city council set to vote on an additional $150,000 in funding shortly, according to CBC News.
Contractors on the site didn't only find asbestos, but other hazardous materials as well.
"What they didn't anticipate was under the concrete slab on the south building was ash. That ash is a hazardous material. They also uncovered an underground [oil] tank. They have to deal with that as well," Shaune MacKinlay, the spokeswoman for Halifax Regional Municipality, told the news source. "It's a considerable job. It will add to the time to deal with that site."
One of the most dangerous materials that can be encountered at a demolition site is asbestos as the naturally occurring mineral can often be disturbed by such work. When asbestos is disturbed and becomes airborne it is at risk of being inhaled, which can cause the development of malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.
12/13/11
Related Articles
Roof replacement at Connecticut gym turns up asbestos, Ed Michler, 5/17/12
Australian factory fire prompts asbestos concerns, Ariella Yu, 5/16/12
Asbestos concerns arise at eastern Australian transfer stations, Ed Michler, 5/14/12
'Take-home' asbestos exposure is every bit as serious, http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos, 5/16/12
Traces of asbestos force closure of Canadian high school, Janet Hartung, 5/10/12
Asbestos exposure causes not just mesothelioma, but also emotional strain, http://icoh.confex.com/icoh/2012/webprogram/Paper7297.html, 5/10/12
Asbestos discovered during construction of North Carolina natural gas complex, Ed Michler, 5/9/12
Walk for asbestos disease-stricken Australian children completed, Janet Hartung, 5/7/12
Korean cases of mesothelioma decline, U.S. cases plateau, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajim.22065/abstract, 5/8/12
University of South Carolina fined for asbestos violations, Janet Hartung, 5/4/12