Old Lovell hospital will shortly undergo asbestos testing before demolitionLovell, Wyoming - In early December, the Wyoming Business Council approved an almost half-million dollar grant to demolish the old hospital in Lovell. This Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is part of the funding that will be used for the project being organized by Lovell Inc. Economic Development, which plans to turn the town eyesore into senior citizen housing.
Phase one of the three-phase project is demolition. Phase two addresses infrastructure, including water, sewer, streets and sidewalks, and will involve some public funding and either more CDBG money or county consensus money from the State Loan and Investment Board. Phase III is construction, will most likely be covered by private funding.
However, before any of these phases can take place, the old hospital’s ceiling tiles, roof and walls have to be tested for asbestos before the Town of Lovell takes ownership. Asbestos is a toxic mineral that was used widely in construction throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Its use was finally banned in the late 1980’s because it was found to cause fatal diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities.
Before demolition can take place, any existing asbestos must first be removed. If not, demolition workers and the surrounding community will be exposed to a serious health hazard. Whenever asbestos is disturbed, it releases toxic fibers that are inhaled and fester in the lungs. The damage to the protective lining of the lungs and abdomen develops into pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma.
Lovell’s CDBG will cover demolition and some asbestos removal, but if all three areas are contaminated, the removal costs will exceed the amount of the grant.
