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Asbestos-laden former school for sale in Upstate NY
While it might seem strange to some, it appears that a former school building that contains asbestos and was recently damaged in a fire may find a buyer. The old Norwood Elementary School, located in Norwood, New York, is going back on the market, according to Mayor James H. McFaddin.
The former elementary school was built in 1885. Most of the school is slated for demolition, as it was made unsafe by a fire last week. The main part of the school was built using materials that contained potentially harmful asbestos, a material now known to cause mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma affects thousands of Americans every year, and has no cure. However, treatments like chemo can help some patients. It is not known if the fire spread asbestos to other areas of the school, or to the surrounding area.
The 1972 addition to the school was not damaged during the fire. Mayor McFaddin said he recently spoke with a real estate company representing I.B. Properties Holdings LLC, of Coral Gables, Florida.
"Losing the old school was a terrible emotional loss to this community, but they believe that with some restoration the new wing of the old school is still marketable," Mr. McFaddin said.
McFaddin says that in order to deal with the asbestos-laden materials left behind after the fire, workers will either have to bury the tainted debris or transport it to a landfill. Either way, the work must be performed under the watchful eye of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
"The ideal thing would be if they are allowed to bury it on site," Mr. McFaddin said. While often controversial, burying asbestos materials deep in the ground - per EPA regulations - is not an usual means of disposing of asbestos following abatement.