Asbestos News
Canadian pumping stations undergoing asbestos testing
The city of Sarnia, Canada, has reportedly hired a company to conduct asbestos testing on its 57 pumping stations as well as five other city-owned properties, the Sarnia Observer reports.According to the news provider, AMEC Earth & Environment has been hired for more than $60,000 to perform the testing, which is likely to disrupt traffic in the various areas.
Each station will reportedly only take 90 minutes to be tested, with the contractors looking for asbestos that has either been damaged or loosened. The inhalation of asbestos fibers that have become airborne can cause a range of serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.
Joe Boothe, Sarnia's superintendent of waste and storm water, said that undisturbed asbestos does not pose a health risk to local residents.
"But if it's not in good condition and if the fibers can be released, we'll have to contain or replace the piping," he added.
He explained that many of the pumping stations had been constructed prior to the mid-1960s, when it became known that asbestos exposure could cause serious diseases.
5/6/11
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