Police Station Must Undergo Asbestos Cleanup
The police headquarters in Rye, New York will undergo an asbestos cleanup for the second time in three months due to the extensive presence of the hazardous mineral inside the station. This second cleanup comes after the local union proclaimed they had “no confidence in the city manager and police commissioner earlier this year based on conditions at the station,” notes an article in the Journal News of the Lower Hudson Valley.
“The basement and front desk area’s air supply vent will be wiped down and cleaned using special vacuums after recent testing showed asbestos particles in the air,” said Assistant City Manager Scott Pickup, adding that an old fax machine and teletype machine also will be discarded.
“Anything that comes to the city’s attention, we are going to take any step necessary to remediate it,” he said, noting that health risks are minimal because asbestos levels are low.
However, Franco Compagnone, president of the Rye Police Union, claims that the city did nothing about the problem until the union paid a private company to conduct additional testing, which verified the presence of the hazardous dust.
“I’m satisfied it’s getting done, but it’s the way we had to go about it,” Compagnone said of the May no-confidence vote and numerous letters to the city. “We’re not demanding; we just want to work in an environment that is safe.”
The cleanup proceedings will disrupt dispatch operations but all other police functions should operate as normal while the work is being completed.
