Asbestos News

A Florida mayor wants the asbestos-cement pipes underneath a closed trailer park to be replaced.

Health officials say that the pipes can provide safe drinking water to the Palma Nova trailer park in Davie, Florida, which will be reopened soon, according to the Sun-Sentinel. However, Mayor Judy Paul wants the pipes replaced regardless of the health officials' conclusions.

"There is something I want to put to rest," Paul said during a town council meeting. "When the Palma Nova land is developed as a park, I want it on record that we will remove and replace the [asbestos] pipes. It's just the right thing to do."

It is estimated that replacing the pipes would cost the town about $30,000, according to the news source.

Some experts view the asbestos-laden pipes as a health risk because they could potentially release asbestos fibers into the air if they are cut or broken. The inhalation of these fibers can cause a variety of lethal diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Removing the pipes will take the approval of the town council, which has not yet voted on the matter.

According to the World Health Organization, asbestos-related diseases kill some 90,000 people each year worldwide.