Asbestos News

Local officials want to convert an old warehouse in Virginia into a school administration building, but before that can be done, asbestos abatement must take place.

In 2004, a report from an engineering firm revealed that the Bristol Builder?s Supply-Central Warehouse in Bristol, Virginia, was contaminated with asbestos, according to the Bristol Herald Courier.

City officials weren't surprised that the vacant warehouse contained the deadly mineral.
"The asbestos is exactly what you would expect to find in this type of building and construction of that era," Andrew Trivette, the city?s planning and development director, told the news source. "Inside, it?s confined to the two office spaces. There is none in the warehouse [space]."

Specifically, the asbestos was found in floor and ceiling tiles in the two office areas, in addition to sheetrock and plaster on the roof.

Fortunately for the city, it doesn't appear that the abatement project will interfere with future plans for the warehouse.

"We consulted with our architect, Mr. Don Solt, who wrote a letter to the board saying removing this asbestos would not be cost-prohibitive," board chairwoman Virginia Goodson said.

Asbestos is often found in old buildings and needs to be removed completely, because the mineral can cause often fatal diseases such as malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis.