EPA Mandates Cleanup of Contaminated Site in Ohio

In continuing news of asbestos cleanups in the United States, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials announced they would be moving forward with a cleanup after a fire at a former General Industries site in Elyra, Ohio. The blazes consumed the entire site, covering approximately two city blocks, over a year ago. Until recently, the site has sat almost untouched by cleanup crews or investigators. The concern is that the site may have been contaminated with asbestos and that the fire spread the contamination to the building materials not disintegrated in the fires such as bricks, floor tiles, roofing, and any remaining insulation. Any contaminated materials increase the chances of asbestos exposure, not only to those who come in contact with the possibly tainted materials, but also to the surrounding areas, as airborne asbestos exposure is also a possibility when dealing with asbestos.

According to one report, the owner of building site has made several statements claiming that there is no contamination present in the building materials nor in the resulting debris. This evidence stands in stark contrast to the EPA's own findings, when asbestos evidence was discovered less than two weeks after the fire. To this end, the EPA wants to be certain that there is no contamination of building materials and has elected to take site samples on their own. The owner of the site has repeatedly indicated his interest in cleaning the site, but nothing has been done as of yet. Thus, the EPA has decided to move forward with cleaning the site and taking samples of the materials. EPA enlisted contractors have been on site wearing hazard suits and respirators while they collect additional samples and debris. No visible asbestos emissions have been reported at this time.

The EPA stepping in to clean potentially contaminated industrial sites is nothing new. Two high-profile cleanups have been recently announced in several states including Montana and Kentucky. EPA teams in charge of cleaning up Libby, Montana, worked diligently to remove much of the vermiculite dust contaminated with asbestos that covered the town. After years of nearby mining endeavors, much of the area had been completely covered the contaminated particulate matter, causing hundreds of asbestos-related illnesses, including mesothelioma cancer and asbestosis. A site cleanup was ordered in Kentucky after a now defunct electroplating facility was found to have contained asbestos-contaminated materials after it was demolished. The site was deemed an environmental emergency clean-up site as there was essentially unrestricted access to this tainted site.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health concerns such as respiratory problems, asbestosis, and mesothelioma cancer. All of these debilitating conditions could spell a sincere life change for anyone affected. Many times, those exposed to harmful chemicals look into developing a mesothelioma lawsuit to potentially recoup some of their losses.