This week in Albany, Georgia an older building used as a church will undergo a tedious asbestos removal process before its eventual demolition. Asbestos removal experts from all over the state will work together to ensure that none of the potentially dangerous asbestos fibers go airborne during this process. Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, according to widely accepted studies, can lead to potentially fatal diseases such as mesothelioma, a cancer of the soft tissues surrounding the lungs. Justifiably, the law states a complete removal of all asbestos products is necessary before the owners can start to build a new, state of the art, nine million dollar senior citizen’s home.
In addition to being infested with termites and subject to many of the other issues facing aging buildings, many of the structures in and around Albany are also contaminated with asbestos containing building materials. Unfortunately, aging building materials aren’t the only way that asbestos poses a threat in the United States, as many other common products such as brake pads and cigarette filters once contained the dangerous substance. While the dangers of mesothelioma have been well known since the early 19th century, many companies continued to use asbestos containing products throughout the early 1980’s and beyond.
Sadly, mesothelioma affects over 3000 Americans each year. Individuals most at risk are often those exposed to high concentrations of asbestos for prolonged periods of time. More often than not, the people who become ill from breathing the fibers are exposed on a daily basis in an occupation where they handle asbestos directly. Other asbestos related diseases include asbestos warts which are caused by the sharp fibers being lodged in the skin, and the scarring of sensitive lung tissue associated with asbestosis.
Excitement continues to grow for the new multi million dollar senior citizen’s home as the directors attain safety approvals from the state, the historic society, the city and the federal government to demolish the aging church. According to Ken Hind, who is the Executive Director of the Southwest Georgia Council of Aging, this tedious, meticulous asbestos removal process will benefit them in the end.
“We’ll all be in one location, we plan to make it very attractive and very usable and offer lots of programs and services,” said Hind. And with the added benefit of knowing that the new home’s construction site is completely asbestos free, residents should be able to rest easy.
