News
Construction Halted over Asbestos Scare |
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| News >> May 2008 |
Wed 5/7/2008 The construction works for a research center was going on at the 37,500-square-foot, two-story yellow building. Contractors wearing hazardous materials suits stared removing asbestos sliding from the building on Sunday. Residents prompted concern when wind-driven dust reached at neighborhoods and on boats as work was progressing. They called police and firefighters to the site who ordered to stop the work. Police Chief Scott Paulin said that there was a dust layer on the adjacent boats. "There was plenty of dust in the air, which even coated the arriving police cars," he said. City officials called the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Monday for assessing the work place. Anyway, an inspector said that the work meets all the terms of building regulations. "The siding containing asbestos was not cut, broken or crushed. So, there is no way for asbestos to be released into the air. But it is impossible to determine what was released and blown around on Sunday," he said. Airborne asbestos can cause fatal diseases like mesothelioma if it is inhaled. The work may resume Tuesday and it will be monitored by the Area Air Quality Management District.
A construction project next to the Bay Model was halted after residents complained about dust from the weekend work. Sausalito officials decided to shut down the project due to concerns about asbestos exposure.