Asbestos cleaned out of a second newton fire station

Newton, Massachusetts - A month after asbestos was discovered at Fire Station 3 in Newton, Massachusetts, more of the toxin has been unearthed at Fire Station 2 in nearby Auburndale. Even so, trucks and firefighters that were on shift during the clean-up operations were removed from the station to prevent exposure. They were sent to other locations in the district, to remain on standby. Mayoral spokesperson Jeremy Solomon said that the asbestos-which was found in tiles and heating pipe elbows-was not friable, and therefore there was minimal danger. Non-friable asbestos doesn’t crumble easily and therefore fibers are unlikely to become airborne. According to Solomon, air tests at Fire Station 2 had never been positive for asbestos. However, an April 11 report about samples taken by FLI Environmental indicated that friable asbestos was discovered at Fire Station 2, but the fibers had not been airborne. The FLI report said that damaged asbestos materials were found in the boiler room, a bathroom, a closet, in the tire-check room, and in other areas throughout the station. Of the boiler room material, 35% was Chrysotile asbestos that was damaged and friable. Of the pipe insulation, 10% was found to be Chrysotile asbestos that was damaged and friable. Damaged tiles were found in three different locations and noted to be 5% asbestos. Other exposure incidents at Fire Station 3 prompted more careful handling of asbestos abatement in the fire stations. The first exposure incident occurred on March 19 when contractors were working in Fire Station 3. During the incident, visible dust was dispersed and debris from the ceiling fell near four firefighters. One employee said dust had fallen onto him and his computer. An investigation was initiated after the exposure incident. Initial tests carried out on the air and the dust in the incident area came back negative. A state report released on Friday March 28 indicated that the asbestos dust and debris did pose a health hazard to the workers carrying out the renovation work and to the firefighters present in the station. At the time, Mayor David Cohen said, “We are going to continue to [take] precautions as we do additional work in the fire stations to make sure that our workers are not exposed to asbestos and that we are making the work as safe as possible. The first priority of the city is the safety of the inhabitants of the fire stations.” (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)