April 14th, 2008

A vacant lot in a Wyoming town is posing a serious health threat. Used for years as a place to dump construction waste, the area has now tested positive for friable asbestos.

Neighbors in Cheyenne, Wyoming are hoping that the Senate will soon be able to help them with a health problem. A lot in the city has been used to dump construction waste for years, but the area is now posing a health threat; it tested positive for friable asbestos. Neighbors to the lot have been worried for years about the possibility of asbestos, but only recent tests showed that there is airborne asbestos on the lot. Asbestos is not usually a danger unless it is friable, or able to become airborne.

Residents in the area were surprised that local officials could not help them clean the lot up. Due to zoning issues, the lot could be used as a dumping site for construction byproduct. Since the site is now posing a health threat, officials are trying to step in and clean it up. Breathing in friable asbestos has been known to cause serious health issues, like mesotheloima and emphysema. A type of aggressive lung cancer, mesothelioma can take years to develop and is often times fatal at the time of detection.