December 15th, 2004

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the commencement of a clean up at a site in Southington, Connecticut, which is likely to cost around $120,000. The clean up is at an abandoned plumbing manufacturing plant site. The Beaton & Corbin site on Main Street was abandoned in 1989.

Hazardous materials containing asbestos were removed from the Beaton & Corbin site in 1997, following a request made to the EPA by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. However, in 2003 a fire raged through the building and destroyed much of it. The fire also left exposed asbestos insulation in the boiler room, which was temporarily secured.

The EPA now plans to secure the site totally whilst the work is being carried out. All asbestos waste will be shipped to a property waste facility, and the work is likely to take a round a month in total. The EPA also plans to test the site following works for any signs of air contamination from any asbestos disturbance.

Asbestos is a dangerous material that was commonly used up until the early 1980s for insulation amongst other things. Exposure to this material is now know to put those exposed at risk of getting a potentially deadly cancer known as mesothelioma, which can take thirty to fifty years to manifest but can then shorten your lifespan to a matter of months.