In Great Falls, Montana, fears related to asbestos exposure have forced the closure of the Great Falls Job Service office. The asbestos was believed to have been released during ongoing renovation work at the building where the job service office is housed. The asbestos was apparently located behind a ceiling that was cut into by workers carrying out the remodeling. As a precautionary measure, the heating system and airflow were cut off in order to prevent any asbestos fibers released into the air from traveling throughout the building.

It has been well documented over the last several decades that asbestos exposure is linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis. Sadly, the disease is incurable, although some patients have success in battling mesothelioma when they undergo chemo or other treatments.

Workforce Services administrator Mike Cooney said, “We want to ensure the public and our workers safety, so we are closing the office for the rest of the afternoon to give the construction crew a chance to work on the issue. We plan to open tomorrow morning, but are asking the public to call before coming down in the event we haven’t been cleared to open."

The incident occurred last Thursday, and the office has since reopened. It has not yet been reported what, if any, risks to human health may have occurred.

In Hillsboro, Oregon, a former school building constructed over 80 years ago has been demolished, and it has been announced that the rubble from the demolition will be recycled. The Hillsboro Union High School first opened its doors in 1929. Throughout its history, it was also known as J.B. Thomas Junior High and the J.B. Thomas Middle School. Demolition crews tackled the school project over the summer, with work wrapping up late last month.

Now, the rubble and various other materials from the project are going to be recycled. The wood floors in the gym and other hardwood well be cleaned up and resold, says Dan Obrist of Dan Obrist Excavation, which took on the $978,800 school demolition project. Other materials being recycled are steel and aluminum pipes and other objects, as well as tons of concrete. The concrete will be used to make gravel and backfill. All told, 95 percent of the materials from the site can be recycled, according to Obrist.

However, asbestos contaminated some parts of the site. Because asbestos exposure may lead to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, the materials were taken to a local landfill for safe disposal. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year. Sadly, the majority of these patients will lose their battle with this form of cancer within just two years of being diagnosed.

Cleaning up the asbestos-contaminated portions of the site will cost $150,000. Lead and possible fuel leaks may add to the cleanup costs.

The BBC reports that the city council of Edinburgh, Scotland, has been fined the equivalent of $23,000 in American currency due to a violation of asbestos regulations. 10 city employees were exposed to asbestos fibers and particulate matter during work at the Castlebrae Community High School.

While cutting a hole in the floor, the material was exposed. The city council failed to follow proper procedure and also failed to protect their workers. The workers did not don safety equipment until they were halfway done with the work, exposing them to what has been described by the BBC as a “significant amount” of the deadly dust.

Fiscal deputy Sally Clark said: "When they finished cutting the hole in the first door, they were concerned about the level of white dust and opened large roller doors to allow the dust to blow out into the car park. During this time there were around 10 employees present in the workshop, at least three of whom were very close to the work."

The work area was shut down shortly thereafter, and subsequent testing revealed that asbestos was present in high enough levels to require decontamination. Exposure to asbestos has been repeatedly shown to be linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer. The disease typically lies dormant for many decades before the first symptoms develop. Some patients live less than two years with the cancer after being diagnosed.

The fine was levied by Sheriff Isabella McColl. "The degree of risk regarding asbestos must be regarded as very grave indeed. It is well known to be carcinogenic and a risk for those in the building trade," she stated.

In Cabazon, California, an aging elementary school building has been slated for demolition. The former Cabazon Elementary School is known to contain asbestos, a material once commonly used in materials like insulation or fireproofing materials.

Exposure to asbestos-laden materials is now known to have serious effects on human health, and can lead to the development of a rare type of cancer known as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma can take decades to develop, but once symptoms have emerged, this asbestos-related illness can kill within months in some cases.

The demolition of the Cabazon Elementary School will wrap up in the coming weeks. The total cost of the project will likely be around $70,000, and it has been reported that the cost of the project is being financed with redevelopment money. The building was constructed in the late 1930s, and has been vacant since 2001 when a new school was built for local students.

As for the property itself, once the asbestos has been dealt with and the building has been torn down, it is hoped that a buyer can be found for the property. Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley told reporters that is is expected that the county will work with Banning Unified School District to find a suitable buyer for the property.

The school, despite being laden with asbestos and falling into disrepair, will be missed by members of the community. "It was well-kept-up when I was there," said Virginia DeFreese, who managed the school cafeteria for 15 years. "The way it looks now is sad."

Asbestos in aging American school problems is cause for concern, as the material is often not removed in a timely manner. The high cost of abatement itself coupled with the cost of replacing the asbestos materials that are removed is too much for school districts, and so abatement projects are delayed.

In North Waco, Texas, neighbors of a vacant former school campus are looking forward to seeing the facility transformed into a day care center. The school facility will be re-opened in the fall of 2010 as a day care for use by employees of the local school system.

“It’s a positive influence, and it’s going to be good traffic,” said James Mitchell, president of the North Waco Community Association.

It is hoped that by offering a high-quality day care center for employees’ children, the school will be able to attract a higher caliber of educator. The day care center will be open to the children of teachers, as well as other school workers. While the center will not be free, costs are estimated to be low and affordable. The Waco Independent School District paid $355,000 for the former Parkview school campus.

However, at first, the district had hoped to repurpose another property: a former building once owned by Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center. However, the Parkview property proved to be a more economical purchase. While the Hillcrest building would have cost the Waco school district $165,000 less than the Parkview property, removing the asbestos from Hillcrest would have been cost-prohibitive. Renovations, including asbestos abatement, would have amounted to about $700,000 more than the work to be done at Parkview.

Asbestos abatement is often very costly due to the stringent procedures in place that regulate how the material is handled and disposed of. Exposure to asbestos has long been linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the abdominal cavity’s organs and tissues.

Many aging buildings are placed for sale but are not purchased due to the fact that removing and replacing asbestos products is so expensive. Abatement of these materials is required under federal and state law, and while most buyers are made aware of the fact that a property contains asbestos, some are not.

According to police officials in Dayton, Ohio, a local man who was supposed to remove asbestos from the old Dunbar High School was in fact perpetrating a scheme to defraud the school and steal valuable copper piping from the walls of the building.

James Gillispie, age 37, has now been charged with the theft of hundreds of pounds of copper from the old school. According to Dayton police, Gillispie made off with more than 200 pounds of copper from the school. In addition, he threatened his co-workers, stating that if they did not sell the scrap copper harvested from the school building, they would lose their jobs.

Removing asbestos is a very important job, as exposure to even a small amount of the deadly fibrous material is considered unsafe. Inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms.

The cancer, which affects thousands of new patients worldwide each year, has no known cure. However, palliative treatment methods like chemotherapy can help some patients fend off the cancer. Sadly, most mesothelioma patients succumb to the cancer within two years of being diagnosed.

According to police, Gillispie sold the copper on multiple occasions, totaling at least nine separate incidents. It has not yet been reported if Gillispie’s copper harvesting scheme exposed him or his men to asbestos that may have been in the walls or ceilings of the aging school building.

Asbestos removal in our country’s schools is a hot-button issue, as it is often delayed due to lack of funding within a school district’s budget. Asbestos abatement is expensive in and of itself, but the replacement of asbestos-containing materials within a school building can also be quite costly.

In the land down under, asbestos has been a hot topic in recent months. Australian workers are worried about asbestos exposure from various products, as well as the inability of corporations like James Hardie to compensate victims of asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma. One bright spot in this asbestos furor comes from an Aboriginal village.

Max Munro, the chairman of the Merriman’s Local Aboriginal Land Council, is pleased to announce that the cleanup of asbestos has been completed at a once-contaminated site at a Wallaga Lake koori village. The project, completed over the course of about a month, was overseen by contractor Nature Coast Demolition and Asbestos. A detailed site management plan was developed by independent experts from the asbestos management firm Parsons Brinkerhoff.

The cleanup of asbestos is vital, as exposure to even a small amount of the material can lead to mesothelioma, a rare cancer that sometimes kills within months of being diagnosed. The cancer affects thousands of new patients each year, and is incurable. However, mesothelioma treatment methods, including chemotherapy and surgery, do help some patients battle the disease.

“The cleanup has focused on regularly used areas in the village such as backyards and along pathways, as well as the old tip site and an area in front of our preschool,” Munro said.

“This is a great result for the community and we are satisfied the job has been done well. We were pleased that local people were employed as part of the clean-up crew. They wore special protective clothing at all times. This whole issue is a community issue and Merriman’s will work with all relevant groups to keep everyone informed of what is happening.”

In Pueblo, Colorado, just over one year has passed since a lethal explosion tore through the site of the Branch Inn, killing one woman, injuring several others, and damaging many local businesses. The explosion, fueled by natural gas, affected a large part of Pueblo’s historic Union Avenue district. Three buildings were ripped apart by the force of the blast, and two others were forced to close for months while repairs were undertaken. Most tragically of all, Ashley Johnson, an employee of A Classic Boutique, was killed in the explosion.

Developers Joe and Jim Koncilja say that they plan to rebuild storefronts on the lots that housed A Classic Boutique and the Crossroads second-hand store. But Joe is quick to admit that the cost of rebuilding this once-flourishing business district will be a challenge.

"When you have an insurance policy on the building and it’s a total loss, the only way you get that amount is if you rebuild," Joe Koncilja explained.

According to Joe Koncilja, the replacement value will be about $80 per square foot. Costs for rebuilding shot up drastically after asbestos was found at the site. Exposure to asbestos can lead to mesothelioma later in life. While mesothelioma is rare, it is a particularly aggressive form of cancer, can kill within months of being diagnosed, in some cases even if the patient is treated with chemotherapy.

Mesothelioma cancer affects under 3,000 new patients in America every year, with that number expected to grow in the coming decades. The removal of debris was financed in part by the insurance company, who provided $25,000. However, Koncilja says that because the debris had been tainted with asbestos during the blast, he had to spend $150,000 to clean up the rubble.

The new federally funded healthcare initiative targeting people with asbestos-related illnesses in Libby, Montana has begun, and locals have generally responded positively. The $6 million grant that made the initiative possible came from the federal government.

To date, hundreds of residents from Libby and the surrounding areas have died from asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma, and thousands more are ill. The source of these illnesses is a former mine that produced asbestos-tainted vermiculite.

Pam Roll, a resident of Libby for three decades, says she has personally seen many people struggle with asbestos-related diseases like malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that can kill within months of being diagnosed. "When you grow up here, you know pretty much everybody here… so yeah, I’ve seen a few of them, my father included."

She plans to get screened for asbestos-related diseases, now that the grant money has made free screenings possible. Getting screened is expensive, often costing thousands of dollars.

"My parents lived here most of their life. I have a brother who lives here. My husband also and a daughter, so we all get screened regularly…hopefully everybody will get on the bandwagon and start coming in and getting screened more often."

Federal Libby Asbestos Specialty Healthcare Manager Kaiellen Bucher says, "I think this is crucial to the people of Libby. We’ve had some benefits for them through different funding opportunities but this is the most comprehensive health plan that they’ve had so far…I think there is a huge sense of relief that there is some hope and that there is a plan for their health care in the future."

Officials at the University of Wyoming have announced that they have finally determined the cause of asbestos contamination that occurred on the campus earlier this year. Officials say that the asbestos originated from at least one of two small buildings that were purchased by a man from Laramie earlier this year. Mason Skiles, bought the buildings and then removed them from the university campus.

According to University of Wyoming officials, Mr. Skiles bought the metal buildings in March of this year for a grand total of $368. He then removed the buildings from the campus the following month. Then, in June, asbestos was first detected at the site.

According to the university, part of the purchase agreement with Skiles stated that he would clean up any debris generated from the building removal process.

Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, as well as thousands more around the globe. While there are palliative mesothelioma treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure at this time.

Mesothelioma typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms. Sadly, the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer within two years of diagnosis.

According to university spokeswoman Jessica Lowell, Mr. Skiles failed to clean up the site per the agreement. Skiles has declined to comment on the matter.