In Corpus Christi, Texas, the developer of the Parkdale Plaza began work on the redevelopment of the property this week. The first step of the project occurred on Monday, when workers began removing asbestos from the aging shopping center. Asbestos removal is a costly step that must be taken by law to protect workers and neighbors from the deleterious effects of asbestos. Inhaling asbestos fibers can prove deadly: the tiny fibers are linked to a host of medical conditions ranging from scarring of the lungs to lung cancer to the rare form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma has a latency period that can span decades, meaning that it can be many years between the initial exposure to asbestos particles and the development of mesothelioma symptoms.

Removing asbestos from the site is the first step towards demolishing the aging complex, which spans 41 acres. The site will undergo demo within the next 30 to 45 days. Richard Runde, vice president of Parkdale Plaza’s owner, Quick & Co., told reporters that work began this week to remove the debris left over from the fire that ravaged the site on June 22nd. The fire knocked out the electrical system, causing many of the businesses there to shut their doors.

The building was condemned last month after being inspected by the local fire department. Quick & Co. has been told that they had 30 days after the notice of condemnation to begin demolition. Some of the current tenants (like Autozone, Wendy’s and Guitar Center) will stay at their current location until a new place is built.

The owner of a Queen-based asbestos removal company has been sentenced to several years in prison after failing to pay $1.6 million in required workers’ compensation premiums. Chong-mun Chae, the owner of the business, will be deported back to South Korean after serving his 46 month sentence, as he is an illegal immigrant. He will also pay restitution. Chae cheated the system by reporting that his business only employed one person, when in fact he had dozens of employees.

Prosecutors said that when Mr. Chae applied for workers’ compensation policies, he would commonly claim that he had only one employee, a receptionist. Therefore, Chae was able to obtain deeply discounted rates from insurers, who would have charged him much more money had he admitted the extent of his number of employees, as well as the nature of their work, which was dangerous due to their occupational exposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos is linked to mesothelioma cancer, among other illnesses.

Chae constantly changed his business name in order to avoid detection. A few of the monikers employed by Chae included Charlie Brown Services, Top Ace Services and K-One Service. Chae, who is 71 years old, has pleaded guilty to all charges, and was sentenced in court last Thursday. His lawyer, Edward M. Kratt, said, “He accepted responsibility for his criminal actions.”

Chae often employed other Korean immigrants in his asbestos removal business. Chae’s company conducted asbestos removal all over New York State. William Gurin, the inspector general for the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board, said, “The nature of the fraud is significant, and the amount is significant.”

Mr. Gurin said: “The case began when an investigator saw that Mr. Chae had filed a report saying he had no workers. Excuse me — you’re doing this kind of work, saying you have no workers? So we took a look at what he was doing.”

“We’re trying to change the business climate with cases such as these,” Mr. Gurin said. “We’re making it clear that we’re enforcing the laws.”

Asbestos removal is to be conducted by licensed professionals, according to federal and state laws. There is no information regarding the certifications of Chae’s employees.

The man that President Obama has picked to head up the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a background in dealing with asbestos related issues, in addition to many other qualifications. Obama’s first pick for the job is David Michaels, an epidemiologist with a track record of working to protect workers against radiation exposure and many other hazards. Michaels is a research professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Michaels has studied the effects that materials like asbestos, metals and solvents can have on a person’s health, particularly during occupational exposure.

Asbestos in particular has serious health risks – if exposed to asbestos fibers, individuals may develop a rare and fatal cancer known as mesothelioma. Other asbestos illnesses may develop as well, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural plaques.

From 1998 to 2001, Michaels served as the Assistant Secretary of Energy. In this position, he was responsible for protecting workers from occupational hazards at nuclear weapons facilities. While in that position, he spearheaded an initiative that was designed to compensate nuclear weapons workers who developed occupational illnesses after being exposed to radiation on the job.

If he is confirmed by the Senate, Michaels would be able to more directly protect American workers. Many are pleased to see him nominated for the position. “His recent leadership work on chemical hazards…demonstrates his commitment to protecting workers from unregulated hazards,” said Eric Frumin, who is the safety and health coordinator for Change to Win, an organization of unions from across the country.

“Dr. Michaels’ expertise and leadership is needed as OSHA continues to restore vital health and safety protections for America’s workers,” said U.S. Representative George Miller, who serves as the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “I look forward to working with Dr. Michaels and Secretary Solis to ensure the agency has the tools it needs to accomplish this mission.”

Robert Duffy, Mayor of Rochester, New York, is seeking assistance for the city’s planned redevelopment of Renaissance Square, an asbestos-laden site. After being rebuffed by the Federal Transit Administration, Duffy plans to travel to Washington to get a better explanation of why federal officials think the Renaissance Square plan is a dud.

Mayor Duffy is convinced that he can save $24 million in federal funds that have already been committed to the project. The money will expire within the coming months, and the conditions currently attached to the project make the work on the site seem impossible.

Asbestos removal is often costly because of the extensive safety procedures involved to contain airborne asbestos particles, which are linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma.

"Admittedly, last week was an emotional and difficult one for all of us," Duffy wrote in a letter earlier this week to both County Executive Maggie Brooks and transit authority CEO Mark Aesch. "But I ask you both to affirm your commitment to the project and join me in Washington."

Aesch wrote a letter in response to Mayor Duffy, explaining that the mayor had missed the point. The Renaissance Square site revisions are so restrictive that the transit facility is "no longer operationally functional."

Renaissance Square is $230 million plan that would have a bus station, a college campus, and a new theater. However, the city revised the original plan. Revisions included a smaller bus station, and removing the theater in favor of retail space and private development. This means that $7 million of the project’s cost could be transferred to Rochester taxpayers.

The cost to remove asbestos and demolish the structures would be too great to accomplish without taxpayer dollars, said Heidi Zimmer-Meyer, president of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation.

The 118-year-old Prendergast Library in Jamestown, New York may shut down for up to three months due to an asbestos removal and renovation project. Asbestos, linked to mesotheliomae and lung cancer, must be removed by law prior to renovation projects, in order to keep the deadly fibers from becoming airborne. Once inhaled, the tiny fibers are impossible to remove from the body.

Asbestos is present in various parts of the library. The ballasts that support the light fixtures need to be replaced, as they are no longer in production. Installing the fixtures means that asbestos will need to be removed. The asbestos is also present in the floor tiles lying beneath the carpets. After the asbestos present in the ceiling and floor has been dealt with, the renovations can begin.

"We are going to install new electric wiring and cables in the floor," said Catherine Way, the library’s director. "This will make the computers much more accessible. Right now, we are limited to where we can put things."

In addition to the electrical upgrades, new carpet will be installed, as well as new seating and tables. All told, the project will cost about $800,000. Stohl Environment will be overseeing the project. The funding for the project came from various grants and other funds secured by state officials. Ms. Way knows the timing could not have been more perfect. "We got commitments for this right before the economy tanked," said Ms. Way. "The money has to be spent this way. I’m not sure we could raise the money now."

A former boxing champion has lost his life due to exposure to asbestos. Now the family of William O’Rourke is fighting for asbestos awareness in order to honor the memory of the deceased. William O’Rourke was a former boxing champion who was in great health even in his later years. Even in his mid-70s he was still physically fit and able to do 30 pushups a day. But by the time he was 77, the healthy former athlete was dead. He died only 10 days after being diagnosed with a lung cancer that was caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos can also cause asbestosis and mesothelioma.

O’Rourke was exposed to asbestos during the 1970s and 1980s, when he was working as a builder of homes. Now, O’Rourke’s surviving family has joined together to demand that the UK government provide better support for those suffering from asbestos-related diseases. The O’Rourke family has backed the Mirror newspaper’s campaign for a national register of public building which contained the deadly material. O’Rourke’s daughter Colette told reporters that her father suffered in his final days. "He was in dreadful pain. It was awful to watch. Months before his death, he was very active. We thought he was invincible."

A coroner’s inquest has ruled that O’Rourke’s death was caused by pneumonia that was brought about by his lung cancer. His two children are considering taking legal action against their father’s former employers. Asbestos-related deaths are expected to increase in the next decade in the UK, as well as in the rest of the world.

In Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, the State Road Plaza complex will soon be surrounded by fences, as workers and officials prepare to begin a multi-million dollar project that will remove toxic asbestos from the plaza before razing the complex. The demolition of the State Road Plaza in Cuyahoga Falls is slated to begin next month. Falls Development Director Sue Truby met with council members earlier this week to discuss the future of the site.

Truby told the council that as soon as Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signs the paperwork, the city can start spending the $2 million it was awarded in grants. The grant money will fund the removal of asbestos, a known carcinogen linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma. The removal of asbestos is required by law prior to demolition or renovations. The funds will also finance the demolition of the plaza. ‘That should happen by July 31,” Truby said.

Asbestos abatement will be completed by Precision Environmental. The demolition contract was awarded to a different firm, B&B Wrecking and Excavating of Cleveland. The demolition will begin on August 3, when the interior of the plaza will be gutted. The workers will begin to tear down the entire structure on August 24. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, the site should be completely cleared.

Truby announced that demolition schedule has been mailed to neighbors and nearby businesses. Truby also had one final piece of information to impart: ‘The most-often asked question is, are we going to get a Trader Joe’s,” Truby said. ”I can tell you the answer is no.” Truby said that this is because the chain’s business plan does not justify putting a store in the new plaza.

Near Savannah, Georgia, the Oatland Island Wildlife Center is currently undergoing asbestos abatement. The building will get a $5 million renovation, and removing lead paint and asbestos that have been present in the building since it was constructed in the 1920s is the first step of that process. Asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, among other diseases. Asbestos must be removed during this sort of work, according to the law.

Director Chris Gentile is excited for the facility to get a facelift. He told reporters: "It’s going to be a wonderful spot for welcoming groups, wonderful new classroom facilities we’re going to have in there, updated facilities like restroom facilities and a gift shop and things like that. So I think everybody who comes to Oatland regardless of the reason will have reason to use and celebrate this new building."

The asbestos abatement is being conducted by workers from Choate Construction. They are also removing the lead paint. While construction workers and construction trailers dot the island, Gentile knows the disarray is only temporary, and is well worth dealing with in order to create the new state of the art facility.

"We’re seeing more visitors than ever before to Oatland Island- not just in school groups but in guests that come to walk our animal trail, so we need facilities like what we’re doing in order to be able to make sure that their experience is as good as it can possibly be," said Gentile.

Trevor Alburey, age 63, passed away earlier this year after a prolonged battle with mesothelioma. Mr. Alburey lived in Swallow Hill, Thurlby, England, and worked for many years as a driving instructor. Mr. Alburey was diagnosed with the rare cancer in 2008, and passed away this past April. Now, an inquest has revealed that Mr. Alburey likely developed mesothelioma as a result of being exposed to asbestos as a child.

Mr. Alburey’s widow, Jean, spoke at the inquest. She said that when her husband was diagnosed, they tried to remember a time when he might have worked with or been exposed to asbestos. Jean said that the only link to asbestos Trevor could remember was through his father, who worked with asbestos. Jean told the panel at the inquest that “He recalled that his father used to come home covered in white powder and play with him and his sister.” Asbestos was once commonly used in automotive brake pads, insulation, fireproofing, and many other materials. Because asbestos possesses a natural resistance to chemical and fire damage, it was ideally suited for thousands of applications.

A post-mortem autopsy of the deceased found that the cause of death was pulmonary thromboembolism and bronchopneumonia. Coroner Gordon Ryall ruled that the death was accidental, clarifying that “It was accidental because his father wasn’t aware he was passing the asbestos on. The speed at which the condition progressed to the diagnosis is quite normal but unfortunately there is no cure. It is a very unpleasant condition.”

Medical researchers are warning that the health risks associated with asbestos have been underestimated. A report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has indicated that asbestos may be possible for more cancers than previously thought. Diseases like asbestosis, COPD, lung cancer, and mesothelioma have been attributed to asbestos exposure. Now, the IARC has announced a link between asbestos fibers and other cancers.

According to the report, "Sufficient evidence is now available to show that asbestos also causes cancer of the larynx (throat) and of the ovary." The study was reported in the respected Lancet Oncology magazine. The IARC study estimates that as many as 125 million people worldwide work in offices and factories that contain deadly asbestos. The study notes that "Although asbestos has been banned or restricted in most of the industrialized world, its use is increasing in parts of Asia, South America and the former Soviet Union."

Worldwide, professions that face an elevated risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions include mechanics, shipyard workers, electricians, plumbers, garage mechanics, teachers and hairdressers. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive has suggested that by the next decade, 5,000 people will die from malignant mesothelioma each year.

Another study by a group based out of London has concluded that more than half of work-related deaths from six major cancers in the UK are due to asbestos. "Estimates for all six cancers [in terms of the number of occupation-related deaths] but leukemia, are greater than those currently used in UK health and safety strategy planning," stated the report written by researchers at Imperial College. According to Dr. Lesley Rushton, who worked on the Imperial College report, "You spend a third of your life at work. You need to take the risks very seriously.”