December 3rd, 2007

An anonymous complaint resulted in more asbestos being found on a site where a public park is scheduled to be built. The site, denoted as site “B,” has not been mentioned within the other asbestos reports that have been filed.

City officials in Marco Island may have felt that their asbestos troubles were over a few months ago when a plan was voted in for removing the dangerous substance from site “C” of a proposed future park. An anonymous tip led city officials to yet another site this week, called site “B” which had not been mentioned in any other complaints or reports. Asbestos covered piping was found at the site, with some of the piping being more than 12 inches in diameter.

The asbestos poses one more problem for the potential park on Marco Island. Residents have accused city and state officials of covering up the asbestos problem, hiding the extent of the asbestos and even of planting the material at the sites. Asbestos can be a health concern, since breathing in asbestos particles has been linked to asbestosis and mesothelioma, a form of deadly lung cancer. Though no one in the area has shown signs of respiratory illnesses, mesothelioma can take decades to develop and is usually terminal when detected.