Oneida County Office Building Tests Negative for Airborne Asbestos

The Oneida County Office Building in Utica, New York, has solved its potential asbestos problem for now. After extensive asbestos testing, findings concluded there was no airborne asbestos in the building and it is now open for business.

The asbestos was found during routine maintenance inspection on Tuesday, November 11, and the building was immediately evacuated and closed down. Workers in the building were originally afraid of asbestos exposure and the risks of contracting mesothelioma. The asbestos, which was enough to fill a coffee can, thankfully was found in the basement level of the building and did not pose a risk to any of the employees.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that typically takes between 20 and 50 years to develop. In many cases, mesothelioma symptoms do not even appear until the disease has reached a late stage of development, which can have a big impact on a patients prognosis.

Asbestos abatement was first carried out in the building in 2007, with the first and the eighth floors being cleared of the toxic substance.

Since then, the abatement has been an ongoing process for several years, and the county has stepped up its efforts with a $15 million dollar plan to rid the building of the substance completely.

The county has already spent around $5.5 million on asbestos removal or abatement in three of the building’s ten floors. It will cost an estimated $15.4 million to remove all of the remaining asbestos currently in the building.

According to County Executive Anthony Picente, the asbestos scare in the building proves that the project is well worth the money it will cost.

County Legislator Frank Tallarino, a licensed asbestos contractor, agreed, saying “It’s a protective measure to remove anything that may be in there.”

The presence of asbestos in the building may not necessarily be hazardous, but it would have to be removed sooner or later, as the material may become unsafe if it deteriorates over time.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 2:54 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Testing, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.