 Asbestos: It’s best just to leave it alone
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that asbestos-containing building materials like floor tiles, wallboard, and pipe insulation are best left alone if intact. The hazardous fibers are usually well contained and pose no risk of becoming airborne. However during renovations and demolitions, removing these asbestos materials become necessary – and many do-it-yourselfers have no idea about the risks involved.
Ironically, it may be because most people know about the dangers of asbestos that they assume it isn’t in their home. But asbestos was used through the 1970s and even into the 80s for thousands of different building products. Removal of one of these products, roof shingles, taught an Oregon property management company an expensive lesson. Stewardship Properties of Eugene, OR sent a maintenance crew in June 2005 to one building to prepare the unit for incoming student tenants. Part of their job was to strip moss from the roof shingles using a high-powered water sprayer, not realizing that the shingles contained asbestos fibers. Over-spray and run-off spread the asbestos onto the walls of neighboring houses and into the soil around the house, which ultimately cost the management company $11,000 to clean up. Another thing most people don’t know is that failure to properly handle asbestos – and that means calling in a professional to remove asbestos materials – can lead to fines amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. A quick home inspection by a qualified asbestos remover can determine where asbestos may be hiding in your house, and help you dispose of those materials properly. Some may argue that manufacturers and perhaps even the government are not doing enough to make the public aware of these dangers. There are cases all across the country where asbestos materials are removed and disposed of like any other debris. One homeowner in Albany, NY became concerned when a tenant began removing materials that she believed might have contained asbestos. The tenant simply threw them into an exposed dumpster. Unfortunately, incidents like this are not uncommon. The good news is that like smoking, the risk of asbestos-related diseases goes up with the amount of exposure so a one-time contact with the carcinogen is unlikely to have any long-term effects. However, just as the EPA says, it is better to just leave it alone. If you or a loved one has developed a lung disease like mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, contact an asbestos lawyer at Jim S. Adler & Associates. We’ll give you a free case review and help you determine if you are entitled to compensation. Contact us right now by calling us directly, or click on the link on this page to submit your information for a free case evaluation. DISCLAIMER: The Texas law firm of Jim S. Adler & Associates, located at 3D/International Tower, 1900 West Loop South, 20th Floor, Houston, Texas 77027, is licensed to practice in Texas. Yet the firm also works in conjunction with local and outside counsel to litigate claims in other states as necessary, including the states of: Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming Jim S. Adler & Associates also has offices at City Place Building, 2711 North Haskell Ave., Suite 2100 LB40, Dallas, Texas 75204-2887; Bank of America, 12605 East Freeway, Suite 400, Houston, Texas 77015-5619 (serving Channelview, Texas); and San Pedro Plaza, 7330 San Pedro Ave., Suite 700, San Antonio, Texas 78216-6237. |