Health concerns have caused three downtown Glens Falls businesses to temporarily shut down as a result of the state Department of Labor’s suspension of a project to replace a boiler in the Colvin Building, in which all three businesses are located.
The Colvin Building had violation notices posted at its front and rear entrances; the signs read ‘Warning – Asbestos Project Suspended,’ although the building manager, Debbie Cox, stated that she had no knowledge of the project involving asbestos abatement. Now, Cox has elected to have the air quality tested. “None of the tenants here were told to shut their stores down,” she explained. “They did that of their own volition.”
Asbestos exposure can be detrimental to the respiratory system. For example, mesothelioma, an aggressive type of cancer with a high mortality rate, is primarily caused by exposure to the hazardous mineral.
“I don’t feel comfortable exposing our students and our parents to air contamination,” said Debra Wood, founder of Guiding Steps Dance Studio, which is one of the three businesses that elected to close its doors.
The owner of the dance studio, Nicole Ortiz, said the temporary closure came at the suggestion of the Department of Labor. “[They] told me that I definitely should not have anyone down there,” Ortiz said, referring to the basement of the Colvin Building, where Guiding Steps is located.
According to Jim Buxton, a Glens Falls Code Enforcement officer, the Department of Labor received a referral from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which prompted the suspension. “[The Department of Labor] went up and they saw that [asbestos] was being removed without an asbestos-certified contractor,” Buxton explained, adding, “and they said the sign isn’t going to come down until an asbestos-certified contractor contacts them and they go up and talk with them.”
In the meantime, the future of the three businesses is uncertain: rather than potentially expose her clientele to toxins, Debra Wood is considering relocating Guiding Steps. Kerry Ducey, who owns Downtown Charm, another business that voluntarily closed, is hopeful that the situation will be remedied in a timely manner. “We just felt for the sake of our staff and our customers it was best to be safe,” she said of the furniture and home decorating shop’s closure. “We’re waiting to hear that everything is good to go.”