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Asbestos-laden roof must be removed from fire station
A fierce storm shook Colusa County, California last week, causing further damage to a fire station roof that was already in need of repair. In the city of Colusa, the local fire department's roof is now drawing attention from concerned lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.
Colusa City Manager Jan McClintock said she reached out to Boxer and U.S. Representative Wally Herger in the hopes that they would be able to help the city get a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It's a serious situation," McClintock explained. "The roof is not holding."
According to McClintock, the 45-year-old roof contains asbestos, making it's damaged nature a matter of public safety. "We may not have a (hazardous material) situation, but we won't know until we're in there," McClintock said. "It could get expensive."
According to city officials, the roofing project could cost the city as much as $500,000. The high cost of the project is attributed to the presence of asbestos. Removing asbestos is expensive due to the extreme precautions that must be taken in order to keep the material from becoming airborne. Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.
Fire Chief Randy Dunn told reporters that patch jobs have keep the roof functional over the years, but now it needs to be completely overhauled. "It's time for a new roof," he said. "That's all there is too it."