Cancer News, Treatment and Research

A group of tenants who rent units at an affordable housing complex in Yarmouth, Massachusetts were surprised and upset when they received letters last month stating that the vinyl flooring in their kitchens and bathrooms would be replaced shortly and that they could expect “debris”. That’s because many of the tenants feared what was underneath the flooring – asbestos. According to an article in The Register, tenant Beth Harris, who lives in the Swan Pond Village Apartments, was aware that there was asbestos underneath the vinyl tiles and questioned the need to replace the floors, which Harris says are in perfectly good condition. Other tenants who received the same letter, Harris says, were totally unaware of the presence of asbestos. Those others, she notes, include disabled persons and small children. Harris doesn’t understand why it’s necessary to disturb the asbestos, which does not present a health hazard when intact. She also questioned whether she would be safe remaining in her apartment during the renovations. Harris notes that a letter from the management company, Weston Associates of Boston, indicates that her kitchen and bath would be blocked off with plastic from the rest of the tiny one-bedroom apartment during the abatement. The tenants will have the option of removing their food and other items from the apartment before work commences. The management company told the tenants they could sit in the complex’s community day room while work was being completed but did not offer to house them elsewhere. Harris has voiced her concerns with individuals at the management company as well as MassHousing, the EPA, and local health officials. She worries not only about her health but that of her grandchildren as well, who visit her often. She knows asbestos exposure can result in an eventual diagnosis of mesothelioma or other similar diseases. “I don’t trust them to do it right,” Harris said. “My main concern is the deceitfulness.” As such, Harris decided to leave her apartment while the work was being done and expressed her hopes that others make the same decision, though they were permitted to stay. Yarmouth Health Director Bruce Murphy assured Harris and others that air quality testing would be done. Nonetheless, the tenant, who suffers from neuropathy, moved everything out of her kitchen and bathroom before heading to a hotel, including food and her grandchildren’s toys, and put them in her bedroom. She says she left a note asking that the contractor seal off her bedroom door and notes that an EPA official recommended she bag everything that was of concern. “I hope they do the proper abatement,” she said.