Asbestos News

A town hall in New Jersey was recently closed after it was suspected that some improvement work disturbed asbestos.

It is feared that while putting in a lift for disabled people in Ridgefield's Borough Hall, workers disturbed asbestos, according to the Bergen Record.

Mayor Anthony Suarez told the news source that the facility will be closed and the police will conduct their operations from a temporary location until the building has been cleared.

The Democratic mayor also said that such a disturbance of asbestos shouldn't have occurred.

"This is a disaster," he told the news provider. "This is something that should never have happened."

Councilman Russell Castelli said that he expressed concern over the project on several occasions and that borough administrator Gary Bonacci did not get permits for the work.

Bonacci said that while no permits were filed, he was not trying to avoid proper protocols.

"You can’t hide anything in Borough Hall," he told the news source. "People walk in and out of here every day."

It is vital that construction work be mindful of asbestos as exposure to the mineral can cause malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.