Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Demolition at a downtown Champaign, Ill., site continues today after a brief halt to remove asbestos-containing materials found last Tuesday. According to a report in The News-Gazette, asbestos was found covering pipes in the walls of a building on Neil Street.

Upon discovering the material, Robinette Demolition notified the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, as required by law, and hired a licensed asbestos removal firm to properly dispose of the material. The abatement company completed the job of safely removing the asbestos-containing materials on Thursday. Demolition continued Friday and is scheduled to be complete by Feb. 27.

By notifying the EPA and hiring a specialist to dispose of the materials, Robinette acted properly and responsibly to protect public health. An IEPA spokesperson, Maggie Carson, is quoted in the story praising the company’s good work in the situation.

“Asbestos can be a health hazard it it’s not properly manged,” the News-Gazette quotes her as saying. “It could potentially become friable” (or airborne) if not removed before demolition.

Once airborne, tiny asbestos fibers can be inhaled. Fibers can lodge in the body and cause diseases including asbestosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and, more rarely the abdeomen.

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