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Asbestos-Riddled Boiler Causes Cancer Concerns
In Auburn, New York, state officials have launched an investigation after concerns were raised that a boiler removal project may have released asbestos into the air. The boiler was removed from a building on Market Street last week, and during the process of dismantling the boiler, workers released dangerous amount of carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide detectors at the scene alerted residents and workers to the problem, and the building was evacuated while the local fire department examined the building. The levels of carbon monoxide present could have been lethal, according to Fire Chief Michael Hammon.
Investigators from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Labor Department's bureau of asbestos control were called to the scene after firefighters uncovered a large amount of asbestos at the site.
Federal and state laws regulate the removal and disposal of large amounts of asbestos, as exposure to asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, a rare but very aggressive type of cancer. This cancer often manifests initially in the lungs or abdomen, although pericardial mesothelioma is not unheard of.
According to Hammon, the high levels of carbon monoxide present at the site were caused when the workers opted a gasoline-fired demolition saw to cut the boiler into smaller pieces. The fumes ultimately filled the three-story building with more than triple the safe levels for carbon monoxide in work areas. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
Local Eileen Wunder thinks that the firefighters did a great job protecting her. "They made us aware it was a dangerous problem and then they cleared us out," Wunder said.