ASBESTOS REMOVAL IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK
“Extreme Makeover” TV show renovates asbestos-laden home in Buffalo, N.Y.

Many urban homes, especially those built before the 1980s, contain asbestos in the form of attic insulation, boiler insulation, Sheetrock, as well as flooring and ceiling tiles. Aging urban school buildings, originally designed to prevent fires around children, also contain inordinate amounts of asbestos.

These days, as the public becomes more aware of the health dangers of asbestos, asbestos removal projects at home are becoming more frequent. The following news story out of Buffalo, New York, spotlights one such asbestos removal project.

Feature News Story

November 17, 2009 - In Buffalo, New York, the TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” has tackled the asbestos-laden home of a family of Jamaican immigrants.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is a television program that changes the lives of families facing financial or personal difficulties by presenting them with a brand new or entirely renovated home.

The greatest challenge for this home project was removing asbestos containing materials. Asbestos is a known carcinogen that can lead to various types of cancer, including lung cancer, asbestosis and the deadliest of all, mesothelioma.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.

Buffalo, N.Y., asbestos removal project

When Delores Powell, a single mom of four, moved into the house back in 2004, the building needed a lot of work.

The heat was out of service because of a broken boiler. And the boiler had piping encased in toxic asbestos insulation which, when disturbed, can release microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, disease often follows.

Approximately 3,000 Americans die every year from mesothelioma, a fatal occupational asbestos disease with no known cure.

During the project, local authorities cordoned off six blocks of the Buffalo neighborhood as a precaution.

Despite the health risks, neighborhood residents seem to be excited at the prospect of seeing their neighbor on TV. “I think it is going to be great. We've lived in the neighborhood a long time,” one neighbor told the media.

Seek compensation for asbestos disease

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of asbestos-injured workers since 1986. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients injured by occupational asbestos exposure.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify an asbestos lawyer through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Please know, the firm works on a contingency basis so there is no cost to you until we obtain a verdict or reach a settlement in your favor.