Cancer News, Treatment and Research

After construction crews began working on razing a home in Aberdeen, Maryland for Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) related work unexpectedly stopped when dangerous asbestos was uncovered in the partially removed roof on Thursday. Immediately after the initial hole was made in the roof of the ranch-style home, crews suspected asbestos materials were present and quickly stopped all work until the material was assessed by a licensed asbestos contractor . A Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) spokesperson Dave Buck said that the assessment and subsequent abatement of the asbestos should only halt the demolition for a few hours on Thursday. Asbestos, a known carcinogen or cancer-causing agent, is an incredibly versatile mineral prized for its durability and fire resistance. Before manufacturing with asbestos was banned in the United States due to its toxicity, many products, including building, plumbing and electrical materials, contained asbestos. Whenever asbestos is disturbed or destroyed, small particles contaminate the air. This contamination leads to asbestos exposure which can be deadly. Asbestos exposure is linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma , a rare form of cancer that affects the pleura or the protective lining around organs. The scope of the BRAC project in the Aberdeen area is comprehensive, including major updates to highway intersections and utilities, and will cost between $7 and $10 million per intersection. Work for the BRAC project officially began on Thursday morning, and the home found with asbestos was the first scheduled to be razed. Other homes, in critical conjunctions, are also on the list for demolition. Shocked homeowners were informed last summer that their house was among those properties targeted. According to the SHA, virtually all properties needed were purchased from the owners, save for two or three. Most of the purchased homes have already been vacated, with the remaining homeowners scheduled to move out later this month. SHA stresses that the homes acquired to make the necessary improvements to the intersections will not be demolished all at once. As the project progresses, so will the demolitions. It is unclear, however, what sort of environmental or potential toxic contamination analysis was done prior to the start of the demolition work. According to Buck, the demolition crew did not have knowledge of any asbestos at the location and that the asbestos was “in a place they couldn’t see.”