Asbestos, Other Environmental Concerns at Blighted Citadel Plaza Site in Kansas City, MO

In July 2009, the Kansas City Star reported on the environmental and financial issues affecting the cleanup at the Citadel Plaza site in Kansas City, MO. The property, which is overrun with weeds and trash, is also contaminated with asbestos. The site was intended to be developed as a shopping center.

Area residents living near the 35-acre site have continually voiced concerns about the conditions on the property, but Kansas City officials are unable to clear the trash or mow the property because of the asbestos contamination.

In June 2006, the Citadel developer was charged with improperly demolishing more than 100 homes on the site and burying tons of asbestos-containing materials. As a result of an investigation by the state and the attorney general’s office, a December 2007 settlement was announced.

The terms of the settlement included the following conditions:

The developer would pay an estimated $300,000 to clean up the asbestos at the site;

By December 2009, the developer would fund environmental education projects, at an estimated cost of $100,000;

The developer would pay a $50,000 penalty.

According to the Star, most of the settlement conditions have not been fulfilled because the city has not advanced the project costs to the developer. A spokesperson for a local environmental remediation company who would perform the cleanup work advised that while the immediate asbestos threat was contained in 2006, additional cleanup would be required before the site can be developed.

Exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer or asbestosis.

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.