April 4th, 2008

Homes in one parish of the demolished city of New Orleans is testing out a new way to get rid of homes slated for demolition. The homes, which contain asbestos, will be burned down during a test run.

Homes in New Orleans are still creating problems during the rebuilding of the damaged city. Still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, parts of New Orleans are wastelands of damaged homes waiting for demolition. Right now, homes containing asbestos can be torn down without removing asbestos first, a usual precaution when working with the substance. The houses may be demolished with the asbestos in place as long as the building is wetted down and the debris is sealed and disposed of safely. But the permit allowing this quick and inexpensive tear down is set to expire, and a new way of disposing of the houses is being tested.

A controlled burn of five houses containing asbestos will happen this week, while air quality tests monitor the smoke from the rubble. If the burning of houses containing asbestos does not pose a risk to the public, fire may be the new way of demolition for parts of New Orleans. The concern is that the fire will create airborne asbestos particles, a situation that has been known to lead to illnesses and diseases. Mesothelioma, emphysema and asbestosis have all been linked to airborne asbestos. No decision will be made until the test results are reviewed by the state.