Some Marycrest Stores not told of Asbestos Danger

Joliet, Illinois -  A full day after state health officials shut down a section of the Marycrest Shopping Center in Joliet, Illinois, some businesses were still operating in the center, unaware of the possible asbestos dangers.

One business was ordered not to open due to the possible asbestos threat, but stores on either side were not told of the danger and were allowed to remain open.

Marycrest Shopping center is made up of multiple buildings each with its own ventilation system, and all stores in one of the buildings were supposed to be ordered closed, while stores in other separate buildings could remain open.

However, it was subsequently discovered that many of those businesses were supposed to be ordered shut, but had not received the order due to an oversight.

A section of the Maycrest Shopping Center in Joliet, Illinois was closed after state health officials became concerned about the possibility of asbestos exposure. Officials ordered that work on the now-closed section of the shopping mall be stopped on Wednesday June 4, as they believed flooring was being removed without proper safety precautions being taken.

The shopping center was built in the 1950s, is now half empty, and is undergoing renovations. However, this week sees the second time that officials have ordered that renovations be stopped due to concerns over possible asbestos exposure, said Joliet director of inspectional services David Mackley.

Mackley said that a state inspector called health authorities to the renovation site on Wednesday after the inspector noticed that work had been carried out in an office area which was known to contain asbestos.

Site inspectors subsequently ordered that the work be stopped, as they believed the tiles which were being removed were of a kind that was glued to floors with an asbestos-containing adhesive. Tests carried out by the Illinois Department of Public Health subsequently showed that asbestos was in fact present in the adhesive.

An Illinois Department of Public Health spokesperson said the owners of Maycrest will be required to hire contractors who are licensed to handle asbestos. Another health department spokesperson, Melaney Arnold, said the law would require an inspection to be carried out before work could start.

Whether or not those in the stores which were supposed to be closed were exposed to asbestos won’t be known for some time, possibly decades, as asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma cancers have long latency periods.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 4:56 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Illinois, Jobsite Exposure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.