USS Olympia needs an overhaul its museum can’t afford
The USS Olympia served the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-American War. It has been docked at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since the museum took ownership 15 years ago. The ship has been in the water continuously since 1945, but ships need to undergo maintenance in dry dock every 20 years to keep them in working order. The hull and deck need $10-$20 million in restorations, and the museum just can’t afford it. The museum has already spent $5.3 million to maintain, repair, preserve and restore the ship. Part of this money was spent removing 30 tons of asbestos, a toxic mineral that causes mesothelioma, asbestosis and other serious illnesses.
The museum told the U.S. Navy that it will relinquish stewardship of the USS Olympia, a National Historic Landmark, and lend its assistance to an aggressive search to find a new home for the warship. The USS Olympia is the sole surviving naval ship from the Spanish American War. Launched in 1892, it served as the flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay. The Olympia is the oldest steel warship still afloat in the world.
For the full story, go to Philadelphia Business Journal.
Ohio contractor agrees to pay fine for improper asbestos disposal
A contractor in Lorain, Ohio, has been fined by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for a project they completed in 2008. The contractor, The Afcose Group, was fined because of their improper removal of asbestos from the Elyria High School construction area and the resulting violation of air pollution regulations. The asbestos was found in a home that was being demolished to make room for the high school expansion. Proper asbestos removal requires the asbestos first be wetted then properly bagged in asbestos waste bags. Leaving the asbestos dry allows it easily to enter the air where it can remain suspended for long period and can be inhaled. Airborne asbestos can lead to lung cancer and mesothelioma when inhaled.
For the full story, go to Morning Journal.
