Cape Cod, Massachusetts - The demolition of a former freezer plant that sits alongside Cape Cod Canal has been delayed after roof shingles were tested and found to contain asbestos.

Project Manager Joe Forns and demolition contractor Brian Bergen are working with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on demolition plans that will ensure the roof of the structure is removed before the rest of the building is dismantled.

However, the town can’t issue a permit for the demolition until the new plans are approved by the Department of Environmental Protection. J.J. Burke, Fire Prevention Officer for the town of Sandwich, said “Until I hear from DEP the town’s at a standstill. We have the permit ready to go; we’re just waiting to hear from DEP and the contractor.”

Burke says that the asbestos in the roofing shingle is not dangerous. The asbestos fibers are encapsulated by a tar that prevents fibers becoming airborne. Even so, because the shingles contain asbestos they must be removed and disposed of according to regulations that govern the handling of asbestos-containing waste materials

According to Burke, DEP isn’t concerned about the possibility of the asbestos being a danger to the health of workers, as the asbestos is encapsulated. Regulations must still be followed, however. That means the asbestos waste has to be removed carefully, sealed in separate containers, and disposed of at a facility that is equipped to handle asbestos waste. The rest of the debris-including steel, concrete, and heavy timber-is set to be recycled at local centers.

The site must also undergo some careful preparation before the asbestos shingles are removed. Certain interior electrical components must be removed beforehand, to prevent the possibility of asbestos contamination occurring. Asbestos waste is three times more expensive to dispose of than non-contaminated waste, so the plan must ensure there possibility of contamination is minimal.

Another issue that’s holding the procedure up is that some sections of the roof, when removed, will land on adjacent property that’s owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. That means that the owners of that land also have to approve the plan before it can go ahead.

According to Burke, the demolition will be environmentally-friendly, with as many materials as possible-even including concrete-to be recycled.

Once the plan for the removal of the asbestos shingles is approved, the demolition permit will be granted within a week. Following this the demolition must be completed within thirty days.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 5:29 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Jobsite Exposure, Massachusetts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.