April 21st, 2008

Buildings owners in Illinois are being sued over improper asbestos removal this week. The Attorney General is brining the suit against the owners for illegally removing floor tiles from a building being renovated.

A building being renovated in Illinois resulted in the owners being sued over asbestos exposure. The Attorney General is suing the owners of the building for illegally removing flooring tiles that contained asbestos while turning part of the building into a restaurant. The building owners had the tiles removed by workers not licensed to handle asbestos, and had the floor tiles dumped in unsealed garbage bags outside the building. If asbestos is not removed and contained properly, it can pose a health risk to the public.

Only licensed contractors are legally allowed to remove and dispose of asbestos in order to keep the public safe from exposure to the dangerous material. Asbestos, a normally safe material, can become dangerous if it is mishandled and the fibers become airborne. Airborne asbestos can lead to serous health problems like emphysema, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer. When asbestos becomes friable, or able to break apart, the fibers can be breathed into the body. This is the case with mesothelioma, which is the result of asbestos fibers being breathed into the lungs.