Politicians Worried about Asbestos in State Fair Building
Pueblo, Colorado - A vacant building near the State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, Colorado has both local politicians and community members concerned for their health and the health of others, but a bid to secure funding to have the structure demolished failed to pass through the state House this week.
According to an article in the Pueblo Telegraph, House Democrats recently addressed the dangers of the old, vacant Naval and Marine Corps Reserve building and asked that the asbestos-contaminated structure be considered for demolition, but an allocation of almost a half-million dollars to knock it down was blocked in a 33-32 vote.
A previous assessment conducted by the Colorado State Fair organization showed that airborne asbestos was indeed present around the building and that it could cause a threat to the well-being of nearby residents.
Representative Sal Pace (D-Pueblo) discussed the particulars of the assessment with fellow representatives earlier this week and noted his concern. “We’re setting ourselves up for liability on this issue, and someone could get sick from this,” he explained.
Other politicians had cited a similar scenario that occurred in Pueblo several years ago when fire struck the Ice House in the Midtown area and noted that they were trying to avoid a repeat of that particular disaster.
“When that building collapsed, all that asbestos went everywhere,” said Rep. Keith Swerdfeger (R-Pueblo). “All the water fighting the fire took that asbestos into the soil. The bill to clean up that building was $7 million.” However, Swerdfeger later decided to vote against the allocation of funds.
State Fair General Manager, Chris Wiseman, told the Pueblo Telegraph that he has been waiting for 10 years for local politicians to address the health threats presented by the asbestos-laden structure, fearing that anyone who comes in close contact with it could potentially inhale toxic asbestos dust. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and asbestos exposure can cause serious diseases, such as mesothelioma, to develop.
