Asbestos Legislation

A proposal to demolish an asbestos-containing building in Colorado recently failed.

State Representative Sal Pace was seeking $451,000 to tear down the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve buildings near the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, according to the Pueblo Chieftan.

Pace reportedly was seeking the funding after an assessment conducted by officials with the Colorado State Fair revealed that asbestos in the structure could potentially pose a health risk to people in the area.

It is vital that such airborne asbestos is dealt with swiftly because if just one mineral fiber is inhaled it can cause a range of deadly diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer that attacks the thin membrane that lines the abdomen, chest and many of the body's internal organs.

"We're setting ourselves up for liability on this issue, and someone could get sick from this," Pace said.

Still the measure to approve the funding was voted down 33-32 when state Representative Keith Swerdfeger reversed course and sided with the opposition.

Swerdfeger said that one of the factors that changed his mind was the fact that the state Department of Agriculture decided to not prioritize the project.