Campbell, Ohio receives thousands for asbestos-related cleanup

The state of Ohio has granted the city of Campbell nearly $300,000 to do an environmental assessment of Sherman International’s future property. The property, located on Wilson Avenue, is the site of the company’s proposed steel mill project.

Sherman International, a company which specializes in refurbishing and supplying equipment for steel mills, has demolished most of the former Campbell Works properties. The company then sells the parts overseas.

The State Controlling Board awarded the city $229,818 to clean up the site. The funds will be used to assess asbestos in the building, install monitoring wells and complete soil borings on the site, reports Vindy.com.

Asbestos is a highly hazardous material, found in many older homes and buildings. Once exploited for its fire retardant properties, the material can be found in piping, tile flooring and drywall.

Extended exposure to the material has been known to cause several diseases, including malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the rarest and most aggressive asbestos-related disease, known to affect 3,000 Americans each year.

Due to an extended latency period, patients are diagnosed in the later stages of their disease. Because of this, treatment of the asbestos cancer tends to arrive late. Mesothelioma treatment is simply a palliative measure as there is no cure for this disease.

A study will be conducted to evaluate the extent of environmental contamination on the property.