Judges Request Asbestos Testing at Courthouse
After the surprising death of Judge Cheryl Aleman last month from lung cancer that may have been linked to asbestos or other environmental toxins in the Broward County courthouse, three Florida judges have moved their chambers and requested testing for toxins, including asbestos.
In the immediate aftermath of Aleman’s death, the judges requested asbestos and mold testing in courtroom 995 and in the judges’ ninth-floor chambers. The reports found varying levels of fungal growth in the tested areas and asbestos fibers “above the regulatory limit” in Aleman’s chambers and courtroom 995.
A survey of the courthouse about one and a half years ago showed the existence of asbestos.
Asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer and other types of asbestos cancers. Asbestos isn’t the only environmental toxin out there. According to a study last year released by the President’s Cancer Panel, environmental toxins pose one of the biggest cancer threats in the country.
