Bellrive fire victims will be able to retrieve possessions

Houston, Texas â€" Former tenants of the Bellrive apartment complex in Houston, Texas may finally be able to retrieve their belongings, without having to pay for expensive asbestos removal, says the Houston Housing Authority. The dispute over who would pay for clean-up arose in March, when the HHA said tenants may have to pay up to $3,400 each to clean asbestos fibers from their personal possessions. The fire was caused shortly after Thanksgiving 2007 by a candle which had been left burning in a fifth-floor apartment. No residents were seriously hurt in the blaze, but tenants were distraught over the news that many of the clothing and personal possessions they were forced to leave behind were contaminated with asbestos. A total of 61 of the 210 apartments were affected by asbestos contamination, and more than 200 tenants were displaced due to damage caused by the fire. The hazardous mineral was spread throughout almost a third of the apartments during the fire and subsequent fire-fighting activities. However, the HHA said it didn’t have the money to clean up all the contaminated items, as certain porous types of items such as clothing and upholstery would be too expensive. The HHA then asked that tenants pay for the clean-up of porous items themselves, as its insurance wouldn’t cover the costs of cleaning those items. Tenants and advocates subsequently said it was unfair to expect low-income residents would be financially responsible for the clean-up when they were not responsible for any of the damage caused by the fire, and weren’t responsible for the fact that asbestos was present in the building. The dispute was resolved after attorneys from Lone Star Legal Aid intervened on behalf of the tenants whose belongings were contaminated by asbestos. HHA vice president for external affairs Regina Woolfolk says the HHA has now raised a total of $150,000 from private donors, to be used for cleaning up residents personal possessions. The agency hopes to be able to raise the remaining $60,000 needed soon. In the mean time, the initial money available for the clean-up means the work can begin almost immediately, and may be completed in as little as a few weeks. A few items won’t be cleanable, says the contractor hired to do the work, and the HHA has pledged to provide tenants with a small amount of vouchers they can use to replace any items they can’t retrieve. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)