Florida pier to undergo mesothelioma asbestos abatement, upgradesDaytona Beach, Florida - In Daytona Beach, Florida, city officials have recently unveiled the much-needed improvements at the 85-year-old Daytona Beach Pier. City Manager Jim Chisholm says that while fishing off the pier will likely no longer be possible, the pier will soon be home to new restaurants, bars, and other businesses, helping to revitalize the pier area. "It gets complicated when you mix restaurants and fishing," Chisholm explained.
While new businesses at the pier will help to boost the local economy, others are sad to hear that fishing will no longer be permitted.
"The pier used to go out another 300 or 400 feet, and this was one of the best fishing places around," 74-year-old local Warren Trager recalled. "There was a reef about a hundred feet from the pier. They put a bunch of boulders out there, and you could catch sheepshead, whiting, mackerel, sharks."
Daytona Beach officials had wanted to reopen the pier last month, but asbestos at the site delayed those plans. Now, the asbestos has been removed, reducing the risk of incidents that could endanger human health. Asbestos-related health risks include mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer which often affects less than 3,000 Americans each year.
The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients perish within two years of being diagnosed.
While he is sad that fishing will be a thing of the past, Mr. Trager is pleased that the pier could potentially become vibrant once more.
"I think it's a great idea to open the bars and restaurants," Trager said. "I think it'd go over good. It's really picking up and looking nice in this whole area here. I don't think you have anything in the state of Florida that compares to this."
