Asbestos Scare Closes Madison Square Garden
Officials at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden decided to close the city’s landmark Tuesday after suspicious, dusty debris fell into the arena.
The scare was triggered sometime Monday night after the Rangers hockey game, when overnight maintenance crews were cleaning asbestos-related materials in the attic above the ceiling and some debris fell into the arena. The Garden brought in two environmental safety consulting companies to test the debris for asbestos fibers.
The Garden was re-opened Wednesday evening after air quality tests confirmed their was no asbestos in the arena.
Asbestos exposure is linked to mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the lining of the lung. Prior to the 1970s, asbestos was common in building materials, and is still in many older buildings today. Luckily, the asbestos in building materials only becomes a threat to people after it has been disturbed and become airborne.
