December 5th, 2007

A vacant building is coming under scrutiny as asbestos issues are causing it to sit undeveloped. Asbestos at the site needs to be removed, but the State Senator from Massachusetts says the removal should be charged to the state, not the city where the building is located.

The vacant Belchertown State School was supposed to be developed into a health themed spa this year. But asbestos in the current building is putting a halt to any further talks until the dangerous material is removed. The Massachusetts State Senator says that the city of Belchertown should not be responsible for the cost of the removal, since the state built the school and brought in and utilized the asbestos. The removal would be part of an $8 million bond from the state in order to get the building safe for demolition.

The asbestos is a concern, since the old building is starting to deteriorate. As asbestos breaks down, it becomes unstable and removing the material can cause asbestos to break into airborne particles. Asbestos particles can be inhaled into the lungs, getting stuck there and resulting in respiratory diseases including emphysema and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that results from lung tissue not being able to absorb oxygen due to asbestos fibers being stuck there.