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Jim Grant / Tahoe Daily Tribune / Asbestos warning tape is posted at the Tahoe Tropicana Lodge demolition site.
With the Sierra warming up, and the construction season less than a month away, buildings slated for demolition near Stateline will require some extra attention to keep the air free of a known carcinogen, asbestos.
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Plastic sheeting drapes the Tahoe Tropicana Lodge and the hum of ventilation fans is constant as the more than 50 year old building await the removal of asbestos-containing sheet rock, linoleum and floor tile. Asbestos had been anticipated in the redevelopment zone, and funding had already been allocated for the cleanup.
Additional precautions prior to the destruction of the building are necessary because exposure to asbestos has been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
"Because of its potential for endangering health, asbestos removal demands the utmost care and specialized training," said Deborah Jordan, air division director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Pacific Southwest region. "Companies that provide re moval services must ensure their employees are properly trained to prevent asbestos exposure to the public."
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<b>Welcome to the Tahoe Notebook. Click here to add to this story</b>
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Plastic sheeting drapes the Tahoe Tropicana Lodge and the hum of ventilation fans is constant as the more than 50 year old building await the removal of asbestos-containing sheet rock, linoleum and floor tile. Asbestos had been anticipated in the redevelopment zone, and funding had already been allocated for the cleanup.
Additional precautions prior to the destruction of the building are necessary because exposure to asbestos has been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
"Because of its potential for endangering health, asbestos removal demands the utmost care and specialized training," said Deborah Jordan, air division director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Pacific Southwest region. "Companies that provide re moval services must ensure their employees are properly trained to prevent asbestos exposure to the public."
While measures are in place to limit the public's exposure to asbestos, everyone is exposed to the minerals at some point in their lives, but most people do not become ill, according to the National Cancer Institute's Web site.
"People who become ill from asbestos are usually those who are exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they work directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact," according to the site.
Even workers with regular exposure to asbestos can largely avoid the ill-effects of breathing in the particles if properly equipped and trained, according to Ed Davis, president of Advance Installations Inc., an asbestos removal service out of Sparks.
"If the job is done properly, there is no health risk," said Davis.
"People who become ill from asbestos are usually those who are exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they work directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact," according to the site.
Even workers with regular exposure to asbestos can largely avoid the ill-effects of breathing in the particles if properly equipped and trained, according to Ed Davis, president of Advance Installations Inc., an asbestos removal service out of Sparks.
"If the job is done properly, there is no health risk," said Davis.
Proper removal of asbestos throughout the redevelopment project requires significant coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and is closely monitored by California Air Resources Board, according to South Lake Tahoe's Principal Building Inspector, Dave Walker.
Since all of the demolition's will be coordinated by a single company who is "very familiar" with the rules and has been "very good about following them" in Walker's estimation, he did not see a cause for concern.
"As long as they show us they're contact with the EPA, we step back and let the state do its job," said Walker.
The Tropicana isn't the first building found to contain asbestos in the redevelopment area, and because of the similar ages of the buildings in the area, it likely won't be the last.
Since all of the demolition's will be coordinated by a single company who is "very familiar" with the rules and has been "very good about following them" in Walker's estimation, he did not see a cause for concern.
"As long as they show us they're contact with the EPA, we step back and let the state do its job," said Walker.
The Tropicana isn't the first building found to contain asbestos in the redevelopment area, and because of the similar ages of the buildings in the area, it likely won't be the last.
With just eight of approximately 30 demolition permits in the redevelopment area pulled from the city's building department thus far, plastic sheeting and humming fans may soon become a common sight in the Stateline area.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers and can be separated into thin, durable threads. These fibers are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been widely used in many industries.
Source: National Cancer Institute
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers and can be separated into thin, durable threads. These fibers are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been widely used in many industries.
Source: National Cancer Institute
