ASBESTOS IN THE NEWS
Utica, NY, city hall building closes over asbestos scare

February 26, 2009 – The City Hall building in Utica, NY is temporarily closed for business after asbestos fell into the stairwells yesterday afternoon.

Subcontractors working in the building’s stairwell reportedly disturbed aging asbestos materials and caused the evacuation of the building yesterday at about 3:30 p.m.

“The building will remain closed today and probably Friday and hopefully will reopen Monday,” a deputy city engineer said. “In the meantime, companies will monitor air in the building and remove asbestos from the stairwell. The mayor felt we should do the proper thing and that was to close the building. We’re erring on the side of caution.”

According to federal regulations, it is the building owner’s responsibility to tell a contractor about possible asbestos in the building. The contractor then is responsible to tell subcontractors.

The truth about asbestos

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers.

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