Michigan home may have been contaminated with asbestos during neighbor’s demolition
The City of Lansing, Michigan tries to ensure the health and safety of its residence by putting unsafe houses under a “make safe or demolish” order that often results in the houses being torn down. Ironically, there is no system in place to ensure that the demolition is done in compliance with federal and state health and safety regulations, leaving nearby residents wondering whether the “make safe or demolish” program exposes them to toxic asbestos dust – and they have every reason to be concerned.
The neighbor of a demolition project on N. Cedar St. said his house was coated in fine white dust from the house behind his, and that demolition of the house was started and then stopped after a complaint was lodged. Only then was the property investigated for asbestos. The result of that investigation was clear from the red tape wound around the site printed with an asbestos hazard warning.
In the area bordered by Mt. Hope Road and Grand River Avenue, 250 houses are scheduled to be demolished using federal funding from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The law states that contractors are responsible for conducting asbestos assessment studies before starting any demolition process, but no agency is in place with responsibility to ensure that they follow the law.
For the full story, go to Lansing City Pulse.
