March 25th, 2008

The collapse of a New York parking garage created more than just a nuisance and debris. The garage contains asbestos, which was going to be removed from the structure later this year.

The collapse of a parking garage in New York was just the start of the city’s worries. The building contained asbestos, and the wreckage cannot begin to be removed until the federal labor department approves the site for clean up. The dangerous material was going to be removed later this year, but abatement will now have to be performed before any salvaging can begin. The garage was a storage area for equipment, snow blowers and trash compactors used by the city. Those items will be recovered and repaired if they can be saved once the asbestos is removed.

The asbestos creates a problem, since the material can now become airborne. Airborne asbestos can be linked to respiratory diseases and other illnesses like mesothelioma. A form of aggressive lung cancer, mesothelioma occurs when airborne asbestos fibers are breathed in and get caught in the lungs. The removal of asbestos must be approved, and then conducted by licensed professionals. The debris will be dumped in an approved landfill.