May 19th, 2008

Officials from the state of Michigan are now monitoring the demolition and restoration of an historic school site. The former site of an old school building was found to contain asbestos.

State officials do not normally watch over demolition and restoration of historic areas, but one city in Michigan is getting special attention. The former site of an old school building was found to contain asbestos, causing concern that renovations and demolition of other buildings on the historic school site could release asbestos. Officials from the Department of Environmental Quality are monitoring the removal of current debris, and testing other sites for airborne asbestos.

The asbestos removal needs to be monitored, since the material can be dangerous if it is mishandled. Asbestos that is improperly removed can become airborne, a situation that can lead to asbestos exposure. Exposure to airborne asbestos has been known to cause respiratory illnesses and diseases, like mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that occurs when airborne asbestos particles are breathed into the lungs. The DEP said that all the hazardous debris should be removed within a week. Air sample test results have not yet come back from the lab about the presence of asbestos at neighboring sites.