May 1st, 2008

After a fire destroyed a large part of an historic military fort, redevelopers were discouraged to hear that government agencies would not help with the cost of asbestos cleanup.

A fort in Arkansas will not be receiving government help to clean up asbestos released after a fire. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that the type of asbestos found at the fort is not classified as hazardous, though removing the material will cost more than $4 million. FEMA will not contribute the to bill for the clean up, since the type of asbestos in the fort can be disposed of in landfills and does not require the removal by licensed asbestos professionals.

If the material were hazardous, FEMA would contribute funds to remove the dangerous material and to dispose of it. Hazardous types of asbestos are friable, which means it can become airborne if the material is disturbed. Airborne asbestos has been known to cause respiratory illnesses like mesothelioma if particles are inhaled. Asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma result from airborne asbestos particles being breathed into the lungs. Developers plan to appeal the decision, though lawyers for both sides say that non-hazardous cleanups are not unusually funded by FEMA.