January 4th, 2005

The Trial Lawyers for Public Justice have revealed plans to sue the city of St Louis and Lambert Airport on behalf of the public, over asbestos removal methods being used to clear homes and businesses. The lawsuit is on behalf of families living and working near to the site. The buildings are being cleared to create a new runway, but the method that is being used by the city and airport is under dispute.

The asbestos removal method being used is one that is commonly known as the wet method, where the buildings being levelled are sprayed with water to stop any asbestos fibres contaminating the soil or the air. However, this method is considered not only unproven but is also considered potentially dangerous by many. Investigations will be carried out in preparation for the lawsuit, with regards to the level of contamination in the air and soil around the airport.

Sean Donnelly, a resident that is part of the group seeking this legal action, stated: "The city and the airport authority conducted an illegal and immoral human experiment on our community without our knowledge or consent." A written notice regarding the plans to sue has recently been sent to city and airport officials.

Gerald Slay is the Deputy Director for Lambert Airport, and he claims that tests performed prove that these claims of contamination and danger have no merit. "We're disappointed that there's a potential for a lawsuit," he stated. He also added that the tests carried out had found that there were "non-detectable and negligible asbestos levels" of asbestos in the soil, air, and water near to where the work is being carried out, and that these results had already been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency.