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Lisa Jackson, a former Chemical Engineer with a degree from Princeton, has been confirmed as the newest administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Jackson, a New Jersey resident who has worked as a state environmental official there, is the first African American to lead EPA.

As soon as she was confirmed, Jackson sent a letter to all EPA employee’s that outlined President Barack Obama’s goals, priorities and expectations for the organization. One of these priorities, according to a member of the EPA Science Advisory Board, is the issue of rapid climate change.

Upon assuming the role of EPA head, Jackson also promised to visit Libby, Montana, where asbestos-related disease has stricken countless residents as a result of contamination from the former W.R. Grace-run mines. Jackson was invited to speak in Libby by Montana Senator Max Baucus, who has long dedicated himself to helping the residents of Libby.

Senator Baucus and the citizens of Libby hope that Jackson will declare their town to be a “public health emergency,” a title that has been refused by EPA in the past despite the seriousness of the asbestos-related problems there.

The asbestos health crisis in Libby is only becoming worse, as funding for health programs specifically for those suffering from asbestosis, mesothelioma and other asbestos-caused illnesses will be running out within the next few months. Libby officials have asked the state to allocate more funding for these programs in the new budget so that health care programs can continue.

Otherwise, say town officials, those suffering from serious asbestos-related diseases will have to come up with funding to cover medical treatment on their own, and those who have not yet been diagnosed with any specific disease but who are undergoing yearly screenings will have to travel elsewhere for that procedure.

Recent reports from the United Kingdom states that at least 95% of school buildings in Sussex contain asbestos. In fact, an article in The Argus, a Sussex news source, claims that 185 of the county’s 195 school buildings contain some kind of asbestos product, including insulation or ceiling tiles.

The vast majority of the school buildings in Sussex and throughout the UK were built following World War II, before the health effects of asbestos exposure were recognized.

A program known as Inside Out South East determined that 185 schools in the area contained asbestos. The East Sussex County Council stated that only schools built after 2000 are asbestos-free, including Hoddern Junior School and Rye Primary School.

Between 2005 and early 2008, all school buildings in the county were surveyed, despite a lack of funding for this kind of procedure. The survey process cost approximately £1.2 million, and an estimated £85,000 was spent on asbestos abatement last year.

All affected school buildings in East Sussex have a “designated duty holder” that is in charge of handling all asbestos-related issues.

The UK has a particularly serious asbestos problem, and thousands of individuals are diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer each year. Also known as asbestos cancer, mesothelioma claims the lives of more residents of the UK than many other countries each year.

Employees at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois discovered asbestos in Harlan Hall this week, but college officials say that their “proactive” approach to removing the hazardous material will keep students and faculty safe.

Facilities Management was in the process of installing a new boiler when they found asbestos materials. They immediately called Brennan’s Peb, an asbestos abatement company, who determined that the material should be removed. The owner of Brennan’s Peb said that Lake Forest College is “the most proactive places I’ve ever dealt with” when it comes to expediting the safe removal of asbestos.

Because the majority of buildings at Lake Forest College are very old, Facilities Management Director David Siebert said that “asbestos has always been present” on their campus. Rather than call the recurring discovery of asbestos a “problem,” Siebert stated that college officials and Facilities Management employees instead treat the removal of asbestos as they would any other regularly occurring maintenance issue.

In fact, just a few weeks ago during winter break, asbestos was located in the form of insulation surrounding a steam line. Because the asbestos is inside a wall, Siebert and the Facilities Management team will hold off on asbestos abatement until students and faculty have vacated campus for their summer recess.

Siebert is also ordering an asbestos survey in Hixon Hall because he wants to make sure that all of the hazardous material is removed before Facilities Management begins an unrelated repair project.

“Given the age of the building,” Siebert said, “I suspect we will find asbestos.”

Lake Forest College chooses a proactive approach to asbestos abatement because exposure to this naturally occurring mineral may cause serious long-term health issues, including asbestosis, asthma, or mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer.

For Lake Forest College students, parents of students, or faculty members who may have additional questions about the college’s asbestos policies, Facilities Management Director David Siebert may be reached at siebert@lakeforest.edu.

Asbestos was found in a Columbus, Ohio school due to flooding that was the result of a pipe bursting that occurred at the school last week. A letter was sent home to parents of Moler Elementary School students on Tuesday explaining the flooding and the reasoning for it but the letter made no mention of asbestos.

The school district did confirm though that tiles were uprooted from the flood and that some of those tiles did in fact contain asbestos. According to officials the air was tested for any traces of asbestos fibers but none were found.

Exposure to asbestos fibers may lead to the development of any one of a number of asbestos-related health problems. Not only can exposure cause severe respiratory problems but diseases such as asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma, and lung cancer as well. Typically such health problems do not show on tests until they are well into advanced stages making the task of finding effective treatment options very difficult and in many cases impossible.

With the safety of students and staff at Moler Elementary in mind the Columbus City School District isn’t taking any chances despite the fact that the tiles allegedly pose no health risks. The district has hired a licensed asbestos removal contractor to safely rid the school of the contaminated tiles.

The owner of a motel in Peru, Illinois has recently been accused by the Attorney General’s office of Illinois of violating regulations relating to the proper disposal of asbestos-containing materials. The state of Illinois is seeking fines from motel owner Mukesh Patel in the LaSalle County Circuit Court totaling thousands of dollars.

Patel is accused of disposing of asbestos-containing materials in a regular garbage can during a renovation project at the hotel which is located at 1841 May Road in Peru. It is alleged that asbestos was removed at the Kings Inn by an unlicensed contractor and that the crews conducting the work failed to wear the proper protective gear required to prevent exposure to dangerous asbestos fibers.

Exposure to such asbestos fibers has been known to result in the development of any one of a number of often fatal diseases. Such diseases include pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Because of the considerably long latency period of these diseases finding treatment options for the diagnosed is in many cases very difficult. Often such a disease is well into its advanced stages by the time doctors are able to detect it.

The company that provided the renovation services for the hotel, the Riverview Group, is also being cited for fines stemming from the improper handling of asbestos during the renovation.

A total amount of fines for either the hotel owner or the contractor has not yet been determined.

A radiologist that has been accused of making money off of fraudulent asbestos diagnoses is now asking a judge to drop a recent civil suit filed against him. Attorneys for the company that filed the lawsuit, CSX Rail Company, allege that the X-rays provided by Dr. Ray Harron whom resides in West Virginia that were used in the case against their client were fraudulent.

Exposure to asbestos-containing materials has been known to lead to the development of a number of asbestos-related diseases. Such diseases typically have a latency period lasting twenty to fifty years which makes finding effective treatment options for the diagnosed very unlikely. Diseases that are caused by asbestos include mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. In many cases by the time such a disease shows on diagnostic tests it is already in its advanced stages of development.

Attorney for Harron is asking for the lawsuit against his client to be dropped on the grounds that CSX is asking for an insufficient amount of compensation required to be able to file a civil suit in a federal court. According to Harron’s attorney that amount is $75,000 and he claims that it is impossible for the X-rays to have cost that amount of money for CSX.

The Freedlander’s Department Store located is Wooster, Ohio will soon be rid of asbestos in order for the building to be demolished. State and federal funds totaling $662,000 are being provided for the project which is set to begin in approximately one month.

According to the city of Wooster’s assistant to the director of administration Justin Starlin the environmental review is presently in the process of being conducted. He has stated that this is a requirement in order to receive the funds needed for the project from the state and federal governments.

Freedlander’s is planning on remaining open until the end of February. Following the closing workers will begin to remove hazardous materials including asbestos.

Asbestos must be removed from buildings prior to demolition in order to prevent exposure to the dangerous substance. Such exposure may lead to a number of asbestos-related respiratory problems as well as a number of fatal diseases which include asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. Because of the typically long latency period of such illnesses it is very difficult to find effective treatment options for those diagnosed.

It was hoped by the store’s owner that the asbestos testing could be conducted during the final month of being open but is not allowed due to the presence of customers and staff which is why the testing has been delayed until after the closing in late February. Officials are now looking to have the building demolished by the end of July.

Starting today the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa will begin to be rid of asbestos-containing materials. The estimated cost of the asbestos removal in the 102 year old building is expected to be around $200,000.

Many older buildings contain asbestos as the substance was often used in a number of building materials during the early twentieth century. It wasn’t until the 1970’s when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed that use of the dangerous substance began to become regulated by the government.

Today asbestos workers must wear protective gear in order to avoid exposure. The company conducting the asbestos removal work is Pro Environmental Abatement Inc.

Asbestos exposure may result in the development of a number of related diseases which include lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. Asbestos-caused diseases typically have a long latency period which means that treatment options for the diagnosed are very limited. In most cases such diseases have already reached advanced stages of development by the time the discovery is made.

The asbestos removal company will be conducting the work during the evening hours and sealing off the rooms where the work is taking place during the day. Officials have pointed out that at this time there is no safety risk to those individuals entering the building but that the asbestos removal will prevent future safety issues.

The project is expected to take approximately five to six months.

Asbestos has recently been removed from the Armory located in Rock Island, Iowa in order to make way for the new Armory Park. The demolition of the old building is now set to begin in the near future.

Asbestos is present in many older buildings due to the vast use of asbestos in building materials throughout the early twentieth century. The dangerous nature of the substance was not realized until many years after it was in widespread use.

Use of asbestos finally began to become regulated in the 1970’s when congress formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Today those who work around asbestos-containing materials are required to wear protective gear in order to prevent exposure.

Exposure to such materials has been known to result in the development of a number of often fatal diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Because of the generally long latency period associated with such diseases it is often very difficult to find effective treatment options for the diagnosed. In many cases such a disease will already be in its advanced stages of development by the time diagnosis occurs.

Valley Construction located in Rock Island has been hired to complete the demolition work.

The city of Buffalo, New York has angered many of its residents by implementing a $1,000 “asbestos notification fee,” which must be paid by city residents who locate asbestos that will need to undergo abatement. According to city officials, the state does “virtually nothing” to warrant the high fee.

Buffalo Chief of Inspections James Comerford said that the funds lost by paying the notification fee limits the number of contaminated and dangerous structures that the city can demolish. It has reportedly been difficult to conduct business at demolition sites, Comerford says, because people oppose the asbestos notification fee.

Senator William Stachowski from Buffalo, who is the new Chairman of the Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee, has plans to introduce legislation that would do away with or, at the very least, reduce the high fee associated with the asbestos notification. By law, individuals are required to notify the state prior to removing any asbestos-containing materials, as asbestos exposure has long been associated with the development of many diseases, including asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer.

Buffalo is one of the nation’s poorest cities, and has a number of old, dangerous buildings that present a serious hazard to the community. The asbestos notification fee prevents the city from demolishing more of these properties, which only continue to present a health and safety hazard to Buffalo residents. Currently, 7,000 buildings need to be torn down, and city officials say they are unable to do so because they cannot afford the $7 million dollars in fees.

Officials say the question now is whether or not to find a way to pay the fees and tear down all of the buildings in order to protect the health and safety of citizens.