Mesothelioma-causing asbestos to be removed from abandoned city property
In Moundsville, West Virginia, the former Fostoria property is finally showing signs of life after two decades of sitting vacant.
"It hurt our economy when we lost the Fostoria. It had 700 to 800 employees at any one time. So that was a major dent in our employment," said city manager Allen Hendershot. "The developers on site have taken down an additional five buildings and it's very visible the change in the site now," he added.
The next step is asbestos removal, and last week the Moundsville city council agreed to hire a consulting firm to outline the needs of the asbestos removal portion of the Fostoria project. Asbestos removal is a vital step on the road to salvaging this building, as asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer.
Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are some patients who may temporarily benefit from chemotherapy and other palliative treatments, mesothelioma remains incurable. Mesothelioma generally lies dormant for as many as fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from related symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years.
"We're hoping to have the preliminary remedial action plan ready by mid-January. We'll have to submit that to the [Department of Environmental Protection] for approval," Hendershot said. "But we're hoping that we'll be able to keep this process moving quickly now."
Free Mesothelioma Information Packet
Enter your information to receive a comprehensive mesothelioma packet free of charge at your doorstep within 24 hours.
