Workers in Oneida County, NY returned this morning to work at the Oneida County Office Building after the building was shut down following the discovery of a small amount of asbestos in the buildings basement during a routine cleanup while the building was closed on Tuesday. The building is used by over seven-hundred employees who were not allowed in the building while asbestos testing was being conducted.

The heads of the various Oneida County departments were allowed to re-enter the building at approximately three o’clock yesterday afternoon after it was determined that no asbestos was found in the air samples taken throughout the building.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Engineering of the Public Works Department Mark Laramie, “They were unable to detect even a single fiber on any of the samples they took throughout the building.” Laramie also stated that, “We’re well below any of the established clearance levels through the EPA or the New York State Department of Labor.”

According to reports the asbestos that was found was located near the building’s ventilation system which is why the county executive closed the building down for approximately 48 hours. All the filters in the system were replaced before the building was reopened. Employees will receive a memo regarding the testing results as well as other activities that took place while the building was shut down.

According to recent reports residents of Silver Creek, New York are worried that a building they hope to have torn down may contain asbestos materials. Residents worry that the dilapidated building is bringing or will bring in the future the property values of their own homes down and are hoping along with village officials that the city will qualify as a Brownfield site.

A Brownfield site is defined as a site in which dangerous toxic substances, such as asbestos, and pollutants may exist and impede the safe destruction of existing structures on the property as well as the redevelopment of such a property. Despite the condition of the old Seegert’s Dairy building, though, village officials worry that it won’t qualify for the Brownfield grant and that the village may have to come up with the money to handle the situation itself.

At this point there are no funds available to appropriate towards demolition and reconstruction of the site through the county. The village is awaiting Environmental Protection Agency assessment along with three additional Chautauqua County municipalities which have applied for a share of a $1,000,000 Brownfield grant.

Mayor of Silver Creek Kurt Lindstrom has stated that if the building doesn’t meet Environmental Protection Agency requirements he his unable at this time to state what the villages options may be. Lindstrom also has stated that he his unable at this time to determine the cost of the Seegert buildings demolition and subsequent cleanup.

The Mineola Middle School has reopened today after asbestos was removed from the ceilings of the basement shop and technology classrooms. School was dismissed on Monday and abatement began immediately following the dismissal of students. The timing was seemingly just right, as school was scheduled to be closed for Election Day.

Superintendent Lorenzo Licopoli sent a letter home to parents informing them that all asbestos had been removed safely and that no asbestos had been detected in the air. Licopoli also reassured parents that their students would be safe upon returning to the middle school building.

School officials are scheduled to have all asbestos-containing materials removed safely from the building by the end of February recess, and plan to continue air quality monitoring to ensure the safety of students and staff.

According to a related news article, some parents were still concerned about the health of their children despite being notified that all asbestos had been removed safely, and some were hoping to view reports by the county health department as proof of safe building conditions.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ “Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry” (ATSDR) released a report entitled “Summary Report of 28 Sites” last week, which highlighted former vermiculite processing sites across the country and provided evaluations for each, including information about possible asbestos exposure.

The former Zonolite Company, located in Brutus, NY (right outside of the Village of Weedsport) was included in the ATSDR report. Former workers,their household members, and members of the community were told to consider medical testing, as they may have come into contact with dangerous levels of asbestos during the processing plant’s operation from 1963 until 1989. Asbestos exposure has been linked to the onset of mesothelioma cancer, and because it generally takes about 20 years for an individual to begin experiencing symptoms following exposure, former workers and others in the Brutus community should most definitely consider mesothelioma cancer screenings.

The vermiculite processed at the Brutus location was mined in the W.R. Grace-owned Libby mines, which have become famous in the last nine years after so many Libby residents died from mesothelioma cancer and other asbestos-related illnesses. According to W.R. Grace reports, the company thoroughly cleaned the Brutus location prior to closing in 1989 and even conducted air quality testing. No asbestos contamination was reported at that time. In 2001, however, the Environmental Protection Agency conducted soil sampling and discovered some soil contamination at the site.

In addition to those who worked at the Brutus location during its operational years, the employees of a cocoa husk mulch company that occupied the building until 2001 may also have been exposed to asbestos.

The ATSDR report can be downloaded by visiting www.atsdr.cdc.gov. Those concerned about their health can call the New York State Department of Health at 1-800-458-1158 extension 27870. A local representative of the NYSDOH, Deanna Ripstein, can be reached at 518-402-7870. A copy of the ATSDR Health Consultation report can also be viewed at the Weedsport Free Library on E. Brutus Street.

The mayor of Milford, New Jersey is calling for the immediate cleanup of the Milford Paper Mill, and now the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing the mill be added to the list of Superfund sites, which would subsequently provide funds for the cleanup.

The paper mill site contains asbestos, as well as other dangerous chemicals, andat both the mayor and EPA fear that residents may be at risk of exposure.

Mayor Gallos has been waiting to see the cleanup take place for a considerable amount of time and has “little faith” that the owners of the paper mill site will carry out asbestos abatement and removal on their own accord.

Don Pursell, Councilman for the Borough Council, has stated that the owner’s have, for many years, hid the fact that the site was severely contaminated.

The Environmental Protection Agency is asking for resident’s views regarding the addition of the site to the Superfund list from now until November 4th. Residents have voiced concerns over the consequences of asbestos exposure, including the development of asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer.

An asbestos related investigation has begun involving the newly-finished recreation fields in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Pieces of material containing harmful asbestos were found lying near the field, and officials have decided to launch an investigation to determine exactly how much asbestos may exist in the soil surrounding the area of the rec fields. According to reports, dangerous asbestos materials were found in close proximity to property lines located behind the fields, which are located adjacent to a railroad.

Officials suspect the recent removal of a fence at the Conrail railroad may have unearthed asbestos in the soil, which may have become airborne.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has yet to declare the site “contaminated” and ask for emergency cleanup funding, but precautions are being taken and area surrounding the site has been blocked off with plastic fencing.

A representative from Neglia Engineering, which handles the town’s engineering needs, stated that “The DEP specifically stated that it’s a non-emergent condition.”

The town has scheduled additional asbestos testing for the recreation fields as further precautions against the dangers of asbestos

A group of Ithaca residents known as the Ithaca Gun Community Advisory Group are pushing for additional testing at the highly contaminated Ithaca Gun Factory after a plan to remove asbestos and other contaminants was revealed.

The factory is laden with a number of contaminants, including asbestos, lead, and trichloroethylene, a harmful chlorinated substance. Lead has long been regarded as having negative effects on the neurological system, and both asbestos and trichloroethylene are cancer-causing carcinogens.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) an estimated $4.8 million dollars has already been spent on decontamination at the factory, but the levels of contamination remain dangerously high.

The revised decontamination plan calls for asbestos abatement and cleanup and removal of all other harmful substances. The current structure will eventually be torn down to make way for condominiums that will be built by a local contractor. Although residents are thankful that the building will be decontaminated and demolished, many - including Mayor Carolyn Peterson - are concerned that debris and soil that will remain on the site may be contaminated, and have ordered the testing of all remaining sediments to ensure that they are safe and will not pose a threat to nearby residents.

Exposure to asbestos has long been linked to the development of mesothelioma, a fatal type of cancer. Former Ithaca Gun Factory workers should consult with a physician immediately to determine their risk of developing this or other serious diseases.

The owner of a Plattsburgh, NY-based air quality monitoring business has been found guilty of falsifying asbestos monitoring results after a two week trial.

Mark Desnoyers, owner of Adirondack Environmental Associates, admitted to falsifying the results of air quality reports after making deals with asbestos abatement companies. Desnoyers and John Wood, owner of J & W Construction, stated that they used falsified reports to convince building owners that all asbestos had been removed, yet they did little or no abatement.

Both men were found guilty of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, and Desnoyers was charged with making false statements to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials during an investigation. Woods plead guilty to violating the Clean Air Act and admitted to supervising illegal and dangerous asbestos removal.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to the eventual onset of mesothelioma, a fatal cancer that has no cure.

Asbestos removal at Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST) in the capital city of Albany, New York will proceed after the district school board voted in favor of continuing the project.

The TOAST building was in the midst of extensive renovations that would cost an estimated nine and a half million dollars. Renovations began in July and the school was initially set to reopen in September of 2009. Workers discovered asbestos just three weeks into the project in window frames and ceilings. According to officials the asbestos had been inside the building for over 50 years and had not been removed when the school underwent renovations back in 1985.

The added cost for abatement is about $3,794,00, according to project directors. Parents of TOAST students, who are currently attending school in other district buildings until the TOAST building can reopen, are urging the school board to reallocate funds in order to begin the asbestos abatement as soon as possible.

Asbestos-contaminated materials at a former school on Elizabeth Street in the city of Oneida, NY will have to be removed, and several bids have been made by various abatement companies.

The lowest bid so far is around $279,400 and was made by a local company called Two Brothers Contracting. The highest bid was over a half of a million dollars. The city council of Oneida has yet to vote on the project.

The council will also vote on whether or not to move forward with a second asbestos abatement project at the former Stanton Box Company factory on North Warner Street.

The council meeting will be held at 7 PM on Tuesday, September 16th at Oneida City Hall.