April 19th, 2007

New York inspectors from the DEP have found asbestos at the Sheffield, which is currently undergoing renovation work as part of a conversion project for condos. Inspectors have now stated that an abatement plan needs to be put into place before any works can be carried out on the ceiling. The developer on the project, Kent Swig, hired a contractor to carry out testing earlier, but the results showed no signs of asbestos and therefore specialists were not hired by the developer to remove and control asbestos while renovation work was being carried out.

A spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection stated that the majority of a series of tests carried out in mid-April showed asbestos levels of at least one percent, and with this level of asbestos a specialist removal contractor would be needed. The textured ceilings were being sanded down as part of the renovation work, and this means that the dust generated would have contained asbestos dust and fibers, which can result in a range of health problems through exposure, including a form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

According to Mr. Swig around one hundred and fifty samples were taken by independent contractors, state contractors, and even DEP officials in the past, and that none of these samples indicated that there was any sign of asbestos. He stated: "The trace amounts are way under the legal limit. I would argue that whoever's data that was that came out with a positive trace was inaccurate."

The developer has now been ordered to hire a specialist asbestos removal firm to deal with the problems, and according to DEP officials he may still face fines over the presence of asbestos.