Removal of contaminants such as asbestos and lead are scheduled to begin at the Ithaca Gun Factory very soon, but locals still have concerns about the safety of the project, including the fact that demolition debris may be left at the site after the work is completed. Local action group The Ithaca Gun Community Advisory Group has asked that any debris left at the site be tested to ensure it is safe.

The Ithaca Gun Factory is contaminated with a range of harmful substances, including asbestos, chlorinated solvents (including trichloroethylene), and lead. All three are known to be hazardous: lead can have a negative impact on the brain development of children, and asbestos and trichloroethylene are known human carcinogens.

Although the federal Environmental Protection Agency spent $4.8 million between 2002 and 2004 on cleaning up the site, it remains heavily contaminated.

Improper and unsafe removal of asbestos materials can lead to hazardous asbestos fibers being released into the air. If these fibers are inhaled or ingested, serious diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma can develop. The most common form of latter is pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer that is rarely cured. Unfortunately, these diseases are typically diagnosed in advanced stages of development, which often complicates the benefits of mesothelioma treatments.

The current remediation plan involves decontaminating the site, followed by redevelopment of the site into a condo building by a local developer. This year, however,  residents have expressed concern over whether the budget for the project is big enough, as well as whether the work can be carried out safely.

With the project scheduled to begin very soon, The Ithaca Gun Community Advisory Group and the contractor hired by the site developer are now disagreeing over whether any debris will be left onsite to be reused in development, and how much lead can safely be left on the site at the completion of the decontamination work. The state Department of Conservation has still not made a decision on these issues, despite the fact that the project could begin any day.

The chairperson of the community group, Sarah Steuteville, said the group was shocked when it learned some of the demolition debris would be reused to redevelop the site. The group says they were told it would be too expensive to remove all of the debris.

Now, the action group, together with Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson, has proposed a compromise: that any debris remaining onsite after the completion should be tested to ensure it is not harmful.

However, there’s still a problem: the environmental consultants hired to work on the site have proposed testing every 500 to 1,000 cubic yards of debris, but the advisory group says that’s not enough. They want every 100 cubic yards of debris tested, and they also want the site cleaned to a higher standard than has been proposed by the environmental consultants.

Unfortunately, following the guidelines requested by the committee may mean the project might run out of money. Finding a compromise both sides can accept is proving to be a difficult process.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 4:11 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.