Residents of Hunting Point, a 530-unit apartment complex, had plenty of questions for federal regulators, local authorities, and their landlord during a town board meeting on April 5. After three months of renovation on units, a stop-work order was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency after one of its investigators discovered asbestos in the doors, floors, and windows.
Since the beginning of the year, the EPA visited the apartment complex four times and observed asbestos crumbling in apartments, halls, and trash areas. There were no signs indicating the hazardous conditions, the area was not sealed off, and the workers were not certified to handle asbestos-containing debris.
The EPA’s next step is to test the apartment complex for airborne asbestos fibers.
More than a hundred unhappy residents of Hunting Point gathered to hear the EPA’s explanations regarding the stop-work notice, and to offer some opinions of their own. “This isn’t even negligence,” said resident Stephanie Ackerman, “it’s recklessness.”
“The thing I find most disconcerting is it was necessary for a resident to bring this to your attention,” resident Doug Meckes said. “I’d like to know where the town of Alexandria was.”
Protecting the public is the main purpose behind the strict asbestos regulations that exist. Although asbestos widespread-use has been banned since the 1970s, it is frequently discovered during renovation and demolition projects involving old buildings. Inhaling asbestos fibers can be extremely detrimental to one’s respiratory health. Exposure to the harmful material can lead to a variety of diseases, and it is solely responsible for the development of mesothelioma.