Asbestos present in desoto hospital

MANSFIELD, Louisiana â€" The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality found asbestos inside the partially renovated DeSoto Regional Health System, but none of it was airborne according to test results. The Desoto building was in the process of renovation when construction was halted for the asbestos testing. DEQ said that apparently the halted construction work did not cause any of the asbestos to become airborne. Airborne asbestos fibers are extremely small and light and can remain suspended in the air for long periods of time. If the asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they may lodge in the tissues of the body and cause long term health problems, including a rare form of cancer, mesothelioma. Mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs, and is invariably terminal. Otis Randle, regional manager of the Shreveport office of the DEQ, stated that the hospital did not follow proper notification and removal regulations when starting renovations on the hospital building. The hospital and contractors may face enforcement actions by the DEQ. The DEQ said that the hospital could face a notice of deficiency, which will require no more than a response from officials explaining why they did not make proper notification or follow approved procedures, and what steps will be taken to prevent it from happening in the future. At the other end of the scale, the consequence could include a compliance order and a potential penalty. Randle had scheduled a meeting on Thursday with his staff to decide on a course of action. The office will make a recommendation to an enforcement officer. Randle said that the decision could be made within a week. Randle also said that he was very satisfied to find no major asbestos release at the hospital. The agency wants them to understand that what the hospital did was against the regulations and to be assured that it will not happen again. Asbestos containing materials are often found in older buildings. When the buildings are renovated or demolished, those materials can become damaged, releasing tiny asbestos fibers into the air where they may be inhaled by people in the area. Those fibers can cause serious long term health problems that include asbestosis, a non-malignant but deadly disease, and mesothelioma, a rare cancer that is often found in workers who had heavy exposure to asbestos. John Domansky, CEO/CFO of DeSoto Regional, said that he had not yet received the report from the DEQ, but that the hospital would do whatever is required of them, citing the best interests of the patients, families, community and the staff of the facility. Domansky said that the hospital had engaged an environmental consulting firm on the recommendation of other health care facilities in the area, and is awaiting their report as well before making a decision on how to proceed. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)