Cancer News, Treatment and Research

A former Massachusetts Air Force site that was once used for testing and research on Cold War-era antenna and radar technology is being cleared of asbestos this week after sitting dormant for almost two years. An article in the Salem News reports that the Ipswich-based facility will be tackled by workers in haz-mat suits whose goal it will be to rid the site of asbestos materials. They hope that the bulk of the work will be completed by April 1. Since 1945, the U.S. Air Force leased the facility from the Proprietors of Great Neck, a family group that owns the land. The Air Force deactivated and closed the facility about two years ago and the owners of the land have since asked the military to demolish all the structures on the property. Because many contain asbestos , abatement will need to be accomplished before demolition. “The purpose of the project is to restore the site to conditions similar to those encountered on the site when the U.S. Air Force first occupied the location in 1943,” said Tim Dugan, a spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers. “The pedestrians are perfectly safe as long as they don’t enter the restricted construction site,” he added upon hearing concerns from area residents. While the Corps of Engineers will certainly take all measures necessary to keep local residents safe during asbestos removal , chances are that those stationed at the facility or civilians who worked at the Ipswich testing location in the past may have been exposed to hazardous asbestos materials during their work years. Veterans of the military, including the Navy, Army, and Air Force, have one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the United States, with nearly one-third of all diagnosed cases attributed to exposure in locations such as naval shipyards .