March 28th, 2006

A hotel near to the Kansas International Airport had to be shut down amidst fears of asbestos contamination following renovation work. There were guests staying at the hotel prior to its closure, but authorities have stated that the risk of exposure to the residents was lower than that of workers who were renovating the hotel.

The hotel in question is the Clarion Hotel, and it was closed on March 9th following fears over contamination with the carcinogenic substance asbestos. It is thought that the hotel could remain closed for a couple of months or longer, while items such as mattresses and linens are disposed of.

One health department spokesperson stated: “Everything that is in there is going to have to be decontaminated.” Officials also confirmed that those that stayed in the hotel between mid December and its closure a couple of weeks ago are being written to, and that up to 20 workers could have been exposed to the asbestos.

The health department official added: “The prudent thing to do for anyone who had exposure is to get them some kind of notification.”