May 30th, 2008

An alert issued by the Inspector General of Washington, D.C. has said that guidelines in place at this time are not enough to keep people from being exposed to asbestos and lead.

The Inspector General in the Washington, D.C. area has issued an alert, stating that regulations currently in place are not enough to keep people safe from asbestos exposure. The IG stated that current regulations in the area do not mandate that people applying for permits to perform work mention if asbestos may be present on the work site. Only permits that are being used directly for lead or asbestos removal must mention safety measures being taken to keep the public safe from exposure.

If people are working around asbestos, the material could break apart and become airborne. Being around airborne asbestos and breathing in the substance can cause serious diseases like emphysema and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that starts when airborne asbestos particles are breathed into the lungs and get trapped there. Only licensed professionals are allowed to remove and handle asbestos work, although work being performed around asbestos can still release fibers into the air. The IG called for stricter permitting regulations to be enacted, although other government officials stated that the current permitting procedures are safe.