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Asbestos Problems Increase Cost of Demolition at Library
The Kirn Memorial Library in Norfolk, Virginia is currently being prepared for demolition. Once demolished, the area will be used a light-rail station. However, complications have arisen at the library. The aging building was known to contain asbestos, but as crews prepare the building for demolition, the extent of the asbestos problem is finally becoming clear. The building contains much more asbestos than was previously thought.
Asbestos is present in the ceiling, the walls, the columns and even the glue on the floor. Asbestos is a toxic substance that was once prized for resistance to both heat and chemical damage. But that resistance came with a price - asbestos is a carcinogen that can cause some people to develop mesothelioma and lung cancer after coming into contact with the toxic material.
In order to safely remove and dispose of the asbestos lurking in the library, the Transit board authorized additional funds for the project yesterday. $593,000 has been added to the demolition contract, which now totals $1.5 million. This is not the first time that asbestos has increased the cost of this project. Even before yesterday's addition to the budget, the demolition contract with S.B. Cox Inc. had ballooned to triple the original estimates, due solely to asbestos.
The asbestos problem could not be fully understood until library employees had removed books from the building, allowing crews to finally open up walls and floors to test for the deadly substance. Beginning July 6, crews of workers will begin to tear down the building, but the deadly asbestos must be removed first in order to prevent the substance from becoming airborne.
Although there is no known cure for asbestos cancer, US-based oncologists like Dr. Raphael Bueno of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston are working tirelessly to discover a way to eradicate mesothelioma.