Asbestos removal and demolition of the Encycle/ASARCO plant approvedCorpus Christi, Texas - U.S. Bankruptcy Court has approved a $3.6 million contract to demolish 50 buildings, silos and storage tanks and remove asbestos at the Encycle/ASARCO plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, a former zinc smelting and commercial waste management site. The Austin-based Energy Renewal Partners may begin preparing the site for demolition later this month.
Before any demolition can take place, asbestos must be removed to prevent creating an environmental hazard. Asbestos is a highly toxic mineral that is known to cause such fatal illnesses as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major cavities and organs.
Should demolition take place with asbestos still present, carcinogenic asbestos fibers could be released into the air and inhaled by workers and the surrounding community. These fibers lodge in the lungs, causing damage over several decades. Within 30 to 50 years, these fibers can lead to the development of pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, both of which are fatal and that affect the lining of the lungs and abdomen respectively.
Water sprayers and tarps will be used to control and isolate demolition dust, and wrecking balls and explosives will not be used. Once demolition has been completed, contaminated soil also will be removed from the site.
According to the agreement between the bankruptcy trustee and Energy Renewal Partners, the project deadline is May 29, 2013 and seven general use buildings will not be demolished, but rather offered for sale once demolition of the other structures is complete.
