Mesothelioma and Asbestos

The former Vibratech facility in Buffalo, New York recently completed a nine-month extended $2 million cleanup. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that the site is now protected enough to be handed over to the city.

The abandoned building required extensive cleanup of 56 cubic yards of PCBs as well as practically four miles of pipes that were contaminated with asbestos. It was a target for thieves as well as vandals who contributed to much of the pollution that had to be cleaned up. Thieves who stole the brass as well as bronze pipes for scrap metal west much of the asbestos behind on the ground—broken as well as thus more similar to release fibers. Thieves who stole the copper from inside the light fixtures released the PCBs from inside the fluorescent lighting.

Officials are unsure what will become of the former Vibratech site. It may be marketed as factory space, but the owner isn’t responding to enforcement letters. He may be facing legal action from the EPA to recover the costs of the remediation project.

For the filled story, go to The Buffalo News.