April 15th, 2008

An Oklahoma courthouse will be undergoing renovations this year to take care of asbestos and mold in the building. Though plans are being laid to take care of the issues, most County Commissioners were not concerned.

The presence of asbestos and mold in a county courthouse would be a concern to most people. But county commissioners in one Oklahoma district are almost relaxed about the presence and removal of the dangerous substances in the local courthouse. The clean up of mold and the safe removal of the asbestos are on track for this year, but no definite timelines have emerged for the clean up. Commissioners are opening the building up in March for contractors to walk through in order to collect bids for the work needing to be done to the building later this year.

One of the commissioners said that the asbestos present in the building is safe enough to eat off of, and that the mold may be black, but that doesn’t mean it is dangerous black mold. Asbestos is only dangerous if it becomes airborne and can be inhaled, which can result in respiratory diseases. Asbestosis, mesothelioma and emphysema have all been tied to breathing in asbestos fibers. One of the most dangerous types of cancer, mesothelioma affects victims when asbestos fibers are inhaled and become trapped in the lining of the lungs.