Bids Awarded for Asbestos Remediation and Demolition of Austin, MN Building

On August 4, 2009, the Austin, MN Daily Herald announced that bids had been awarded to remove asbestos and demolish a Main Street property. The building, which had housed a restaurant and apartment buildings, was destroyed in a January 15, 2009 fire.

Two area contractors were awarded the work, with low bids of $9,999 for asbestos abatement and $107,600 for demolition of the property.

Asbestos removal and other environmental work will begin by August 24, 2009, with demolition scheduled to begin in early September. The project is expected to be completed by October 2009, when the lot will be leveled and grass will be planted.

The abatement and demolition of the site had stalled for several months because the building owner had refused city requests to clean up the hazardous site. The property owner and the city reached an agreement with regard to the cleanup in June 2009, which will allow the city to ultimately assess the property owner for abatement and demolition costs.

Even short-term or secondary exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma cancer, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis. Because the long latency period (the time between exposure and when symptoms first develop) is decades long, those exposed to asbestos may not develop symptoms of disease until many years later.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos illness, contact our lawyers today for a free review of your case. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.