A former hospital in Harrison County, Kentucky, will be converted into a new Government Center that will hold many new county offices. The Harrison County Commissioners have selected AML Inc as the general contractor to renovate the hospital complex, and have awarded them a multi-million dollar contract to complete the project.
The former Harrison hospital contains many different kinds of asbestos insulation, now understood to be a serious threat to human health, and will need to have the dangerous substance removed before renovations can continue. Asbestos remediation is a necessary part of many renovation and reconstruction projects in order to keep the construction workers and nearby residents safe from exposure to asbestos fibers that can lead to death. Many industries throughout the United States including construction made use of various products fabricated from asbestos until the late 1980′s when its use was banned due to health concerns. Asbestos was used in many forms such as pressed boards, fabrics, and blown insulation and was often installed in crawl spaces, attics and walls for insulation and fire retardation.
Exposure to asbestos fibers has been shown to cause mesothelioma, an incurable and aggressive cancer that kills thousands of Americans each year. Mesothelioma occurs when scar tissue in and around the mesothelium, a soft tissue which encases many of our organs, begins to form malignant, spreading tumors. The cancer’s prognosis is incredibly poor, with patients often expected to live no more than two years beyond diagnosis. Diagnosing the cancer can be very difficult as well, not only because of its rarity but also because its pre-tumor symptoms resemble those of far more common ailments.
Asbestos must become lodged in the mesothelium in order to become a threat, which normally occurs through inhalation or ingestion of the tiny, needle-like fibers. Most asbestos insulation isn’t dangerous because it’s so unlikely that a building’s inhabitants will be exposed to the fibers; during renovations, however, the fibers are upset by demolition and can become airborne. Specialized contractors, often licensed specifically for handling asbestos, are required by law to perform asbestos abatement in renovation projects that deal with contaminated buildings.
The former Harrison County hospital will have its asbestos insulation removed by the Midwest Services Group, reportedly under contract for nearly half a million dollars. AML Inc will hire other subcontractors to handle plumbing, electrical wiring, and other components of the renovation. James Goldman, president of the Harrison County Commissioners, hopes that the entire project will be complete by January 2011.
