A fire that broke out at a Jefferson County, Ohio karate studio has led the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to require contractors to provide air quality testing in order to check for the presence of asbestos in the air.
Exposure to asbestos containing materials can lead to a number of asbestos related diseases that can have lasting effects. Due to the long latency period of such diseases treatment options for those diagnosed are often very limited. Many times individuals are unaware of the diseases for nearly fifty years. Included in the list of deadly diseases caused by asbestos exposure are asbestosis and mesothelioma.
The fire broke out at the Clarence West Karate Studio located on Main Street in Wintersville, Ohio on Sunday November 23rd and destroyed both the portion of the building housing the karate studio as well as the apartments above the studio.
Environmental Protection Agency officials have stated that their reasoning for requiring the testing has to do with the fact that building materials were being removed from the site before it was determined whether or not there was any asbestos containing materials located in the building.
Contractors have now been notified of the requirement and are conducting the testing and taking samples. Additionally the fire department is required to keep the charred remnants of the building damp in order to ensure that asbestos is not released into the air if it does in fact exist in the remains of the building.
