Asbestos News

Shipyards have long been one of the most dangerous places when it comes to asbestos exposure, but San Francisco residents can breathe a bit easier now that federal regulators have found that a local shipyard no longer poses a threat.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in the Bayview area of San Francisco has safety practices in place that will protect residents from asbestos that might be kicked up during redevelopment work, reports the San Francisco Examiner.

Asbestos is naturally occurring in the Bay Area soils, so local construction, demolition and redevelopment workers must be extra careful when it comes to dealing with the deadly mineral.

In 2008, the Lennar Corporation, which manages part of the shipyard, was fined $515,000 by state air regulators for not properly managing and monitoring asbestos-laden dust during a 2006 and 2007 redevelopment project.

However, it now appears that the shipyard poses no threat.

"Strict best-management practices for dust and asbestos monitoring and mitigation are in place to protect the community and keep exposure to asbestos in dust within acceptable levels," the EPA said in their report.

Asbestos exposure causes malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.