May 13th, 2008

An affordable housing project in Miami, Florida may no longer be so affordable after asbestos was found on the site. Officials say the contamination happened when previous workers were clearing the site.

A Miami affordable housing project has hit a huge financial snag after asbestos was found on the site. The 136-unit project’s budget is now five times what developers had originally planned, since removing the asbestos will cost almost $1 million. The asbestos was found when a contractor started digging at the site, and uncovered the hazardous material. The community’s redevelopment agency is now in flux over whether the project will be able to obtain funding to continue. Health officials say that the asbestos was the result of previous workers accidentally breaking underground pipes, and then throwing dirt over the problem.

Asbestos can be a huge health concern, since unstable asbestos can become airborne. Asbestos is not normally dangerous unless it breaks apart and becomes airborne, when it can then be breathed into the lungs. Breathing in asbestos particles has been known to lead to respiratory diseases and cancer, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the result of airborne asbestos particles becoming trapped in the lungs. The developer is trying to come up with a plan that would allow the project to continue.