April 15th, 2005

The Public Archives Building in Nova Scotia has been temporarily closed after asbestos was released into the air. The building was closed on a temporary basis last week after the deadly and carcinogenic substance was released into the air of the basement of the building.

Officials stated that a number of staff members had been working down in the basement of the building, taking apart an old work table about a week ago. It was during this time that a small amount of asbestos was released into the air of the basement. As soon as the incident occurred, the staff members were immediately evacuated and all vents to the basement were sealed off.

"Once all required cleaning is finished and testing confirms the building is safe, the archives will reopen," said provincial archivist Brian Speirs, who confirmed that the completion of the clean up is likely to be this week.

Asbestos is a mineral that can cause a wide range of health problems when ingested or breathed in through airborne fibres, including being responsible for a deadly cancer known as mesothelioma.