Sandwich, Massachusetts - After delays lasting several months, a former freezer plant situated alongside the Cape Cod Canal is finally undergoing demolition. The project will be completed by May 8.

The work was delayed in March after roofing shingles were found to contain asbestos. Sandwich Fire Prevention Officer J.J. Burke said the asbestos in the shingles was encapsulated in roofing tar and wasn’t dangerous.

Even so, the asbestos-containing shingles has to be removed, contained, and safely disposed of before demolition can begin. Safe removal of asbestos materials usually requires so-called ‘wet removal,’ to prevent the formation of asbestos dust. According to required regulations, the asbestos waste will taken to an approved asbestos disposal site once it has been removed and sealed.

Further delays came from the requirement of the site to undergo preparation before the asbestos-containing shingles could be removed. Certain interior electrical components had to be removed prior to asbestos removal, to prevent the possibility of contamination. Asbestos waste is three times more expensive to dispose of than non-contaminated waste, so the plan had to minimize the possibility of contamination of ‘clean’ waste.

Another issue that held the procedure up was that some sections of the roof would land on adjacent property owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, meaning that the owners of that land also had to approve the plan.

Developing a careful plan for the removal of asbestos-containing waste is an absolute requirement in most states, particularly for large-scale industrial demolition. Failure to remove asbestos waste prior to demolition could constitute an enormous hazard to public safety, as demolition would create massive clouds of inhalable asbestos dust.

Inhalation of asbestos can cause lethal diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, two serious lung conditions. Mesothelioma can develop in people who experience relatively low level asbestos exposure, so protecting the public is an important consideration in cases such as the Sandwich freezer plant demolition.

Because the potential risks are so severe, heavy fines and penalties face people who are convicted of crimes involving the failure to remove or dispose of asbestos safely. Unfortunately, some developers and contractors are tempted to ignore asbestos regulations due to the expense of removing and disposing of the toxic substance.

In the case of the freezer plant, asbestos removal and demolition of the building will cost in the region of $250,000.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 4:25 pm and is filed under Asbestos Abatement, Asbestos 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.