The owner of a building in Waco, Texas has discovered that the presence of asbestos in buildings scheduled for demolition can cause a variety of different problems, not the least of which is increased demolition costs.

The presence of asbestos in the buildings drives the cost of demolition up considerably for several reasons.

First is the fact that the asbestos must be removed before the buildings can be demolished. Leaving the asbestos intact during demolition could spread clouds of asbestos dust into the air, creating an environmental and health hazard.

Second, the asbestos removal must be carried out by professional contractors who are licensed to handle asbestos. In addition, special procedures must be used in removing the asbestos, to prevent the dispersion of asbestos dust.

These procedures include a process called wet removal, in which asbestos-containing materials are wetted down before they are removed, to prevent the release of dust and airborne fibers.

Finally, the cost of disposing of asbestos waste is significantly higher than disposing of non-hazardous material. Asbestos disposal is generally around three times more expensive than disposal of non-hazardous waste.

All of these are particularly important considerations that are necessary to prevent asbestos exposure to anyone involved in handling the substance. Even a small amount of exposure can cause a deadly cancer called mesothelioma.

The health hazards of asbestos exposure have prompted most states to develop strict regulations about handling the substance, as well as regulations governing demolition of buildings that contain it.

In Waco, Texas, district Judge Vicki Menard ordered the owner of a dilapidated building to begin demolition within 45 days, or incur fines of $1,000 a day.

That means owner Banson Fan must have a city demolition permit, a contractor, and funding ready to go within that time. The problem is, the permit can’t be issued until asbestos abatement is completed, and the abatement has an estimated cost of $50,000. That figure amounts to approximately half the total cost of demolishing the building.

Asbestos was used widely in construction up until the 1980s in part because the addition of asbestos was a cheap and easy way to make building materials stronger and more fire resistant. Now, however, property owners are experiencing one of the far-reaching costs of asbestos, in the high costs of abatement in older buildings.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 4:30 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Texas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.