Mesothelioma and Asbestos

In beginning February, the Bartonville hospital powerhouse was demolished after a thorough asbestos cleanup was finally completed. Asbestos abatement cost $350,000, but the demolition cost only $80,000.

The powerhouse was built in 1949, when the take of asbestos was still ordinary because the health effects were not widely known. Inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to humorless illnesses similar mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Abandoned since 1972, the building was sealed in 1997 by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because it was a health hazard. There are plans to turn the only remaining building on the property, the Bowen building, into a commercial enterprise. But, that building as well as has a high rate of asbestos that must earliest be removed before the building can be safely developed or demolished.

For the filled story, go to The Journal Star.