Asbestos discovery brings demolition of burned out building to halt

BELLAIRE, Ohio â€" Contractors stopped demolition work on the burned out Barsi Building Monday after discovering asbestos behind a front wall. The delay may cause the demolition to run beyond its March 31 deadline for completion. The Barsi Building, a downtown building with a long history, burned in a fire December 1st that closed businesses all along Belmont Street. The fire was judged to be one of the most spectacular in Bellaire history, and required 15 fire departments to bring under control. In the aftermath, there were fundraisers and meetings as the entire village rallied to help businesses reopen. It wasn’t until late January, though, that demolition on the remains of the building began. On January 27, Demolition Man, the company chosen to do the work, began the process of tearing down the structure at 3315 Belmont Street. Nick Masciarelli said at the time that the delay in starting demolition â€" nearly two months after the fire â€" was due to a combination of things, including acquiring the proper permits and unavailability of equipment to reach the upper floors of the building. “We got our permits and we got our insurance, but then we had to find a piece of equipment high enough to reach,” Masciarelli said. “The power plant had all of the 60 foot reaches, and that held us up.” Masciarelli has until March 31 to complete the project. In an interview at the start of demolition, Masciarelli said that the Environmental Protection Agency would inspect the site for asbestos once the company had removed the top two stories of the structure. He stated that unless he runs into an asbestos problem or inclement weather, he didn’t see any reason that he couldn’t meet the March 31 deadline. Masciarellie said that it’s just not that easy to do things the right way. “We had to get permits and had to get the power company to cover the wires. It just takes time, but you have to be safe,” Masciarelli said. His main concern back in January was protection of the public, and of other people’s property. Now, it seems, his worst fears have come true. The EPA investigation turned up asbestos behind a front wall of the building. Crews discovered asbestos inside the Barsi Building after they removed a front wall. Masciarelli called in the EPA to test the walls. On Friday, the EPA confirmed the presence of asbestos in the walls. Now, says Masciarelli, there will be no more work on the site until the asbestos is removed. It’s the only safe way to handle things. He said that if he continues other demolition and “the material comes down on the asbestos”, they consider all the material contaminated. It has to be removed because it will become a health hazard if the material becomes airborne. Airborne asbestos is a cancer hazard, and may cause mesothelioma, a rare, deadly cancer that is only caused by inhaling fibers of asbestos. At present, because the asbestos is not airborne, he stressed that the building is not a health risk and nearby residents should not be concerned. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)