Initial tests performed by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality show asbestos in the debris left after a fire that destroyed about 150 World War II era buildings at the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority on January 29. The Arkansas DEQ is sharing its test results with the Fort Chafee Redevelopment Authority, the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The area has been roped off and warning signs posted asking people to stay out of the contaminated area, but there have been reports of people walking around and taking pictures inside the contamination area. Later air monitoring found less that 0.002 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter in the atmosphere around the site, but contamination on the ground is still quite high. Members of the public have been referred to the asbestos information website <www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts61.html> of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to get information about the risks of asbestos exposure. Asbestos-contaminated samples were found throughout the site. A preliminary bid to clean up the site totaled $4.6 million, and the cleanup costs may qualify the site to be declared a federal disaster area. If federal aid is provided, it will cover 75 percent of the costs; the state would pay 12.5 percent and the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority would be required to pay 12.5 percent. To adequately clean up the site, a certified contractor will have to collect tons of asbestos-contaminated debris, put it in special containers and dispose of it at a landfill qualified to handle asbestos-containing materials.
For the full story, go to http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/02/12/week_in_review/news/saturday/news04.txt, http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/02/12/news/news03.txt and http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/216564/.
