Asbestos Abatement Debate in Texas

Asbestos Abatement Debate in Texas
Asbestos Abatement Debate in Texas

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Howard County commissioners recently gave permission for an asbestos abatement to get underway on a trio of its buildings.

However, some members of the court are hesitant to call for the demolition of their structures and would rather hold off on the demolition until the jail has been constructed.

Tearing Down of Buildings Controversial

According to Commissioner Gary Simer, it would be better to wait on the demolition so they can ensure there is enough money left in the budget.

However, Commissioners Bill Crooker and Jerry Kilgore disagree.

“It’s going to have to be done,” says Crooker. “My feeling is we should go ahead and look into this and take care of it now.”

Risk of Waiting

Project Architect Jeff Heffelfinger explained to the court that if the project is put on hold for funding reason’s the county will be liable for putting the community at risk for asbestos exposure in the meantime.

“Because we know what has asbestos in it-for example, the tiles lying on the ground outside the building-we can’t legally pick them up” explains Heffelfinger. “If we don’t go ahead with demolition of the buildings, we’ll need to secure them so a vagrant doesn’t end up going inside and getting hurt.”

Asbestos can be extremely harmful to anyone who is exposed through inhalation or ingestion and is the known cause of a fatal form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

(Source: Big Spring Herald)

Have you been wrongfully exposed to asbestos? If so, please contact us to speak with someone about the dangers of the substance and the resources available to you.
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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 am.
Asbestos Abatement Debate in Texas