Plans for Owners of Private School in Owings Mills, MD to Purchase New School Building Abandoned: Site Contaminated by Asbestos

Environmental study of proposed new site for Jewish High School in Baltimore suburb of Owings Mills reveals that the building is contaminated by asbestos and other contaminants. Exposure to the dangerous mineral is known to cause a number of serious and life-threatening illnesses that develop many decades after being exposed.

If your family has been affected by a loved one’s diagnosis with mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer or asbestosis, contact us for information about your legal options to seek compensation from the companies responsible for your loved one’s illness.

On February 12, 2010, the Baltimore Sun reported that the Shoshana S. Cardin School had abandoned their plans to move the school into a new building on the site of the former Rosewood Center. The site, which is currently owned by the Associated Jewish Federation of Baltimore, was found to be contaminated by asbestos, PCBs and other potential environmental hazards.

The Rosewood Center building, which once served as a home for developmentally challenged individuals had been closed by the Governor or Maryland in 2009. The state maintains ownership of an additional 178 acres at the site, which have been designated as surplus land.

Environmental Asbestos Hazards
Before any of the land or properties on the Owings Mills site can be used, the site will have to undergo environmental cleanup to remove all asbestos-containing materials (ACM) and debris and remediate all other environmental contaminates from the 55-acre site.

Exposure to asbestos and PCBs pose serious health risks to those who are exposed to the carcinogens (cancer-causing substances).

The time between exposure to asbestos and when signs of an asbestos disease are first noticeable (known as latency periods) can be 30-40 or more years long. During this decades-long latency period, the asbestos fibers in the lungs cause healthy lung tissue to scar, which can result in serious chronic breathing disorders or for lung cancer tumors to grow.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a number of federal and international health agencies have also long classified PCBs as posing serious health risks. PCBs have been linked to an increased risk of developing immune and reproductive system diseases, neurological disorders, thyroid disease and several forms of cancer.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, our lawyers may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.