In Elmira, New York, the city manager is in hot water after authorizing the demolition of the Ritz Carriage House, which was known to contain deadly asbestos.

John Burin argued that demolition of the house posed no health risk, as the asbestos was “non-friable”, meaning it cannot be broken down into small pieces under pressure.

In many cases, authorities find it is safer to conduct asbestos removal prior to a demolition in order to ensure public safety. If asbestos breaks into smaller pieces during demolition, tiny fibers can become lodged in the lungs of workers and neighbors. These tiny asbestos fibers pose a big threat: inhaling them can lead to the rare, aggressive cancer mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma can develop decades after the initial exposure to asbestos.

The asbestos in the Ritz Carriage House was located in the roof shingles. In addition to shingles, asbestos may also be found in common building materials including floor and ceiling tiles, pipe and boiler insulation, and some paints.

Burin stated that he did not think the debris was harmful, and stated that the city followed procedure by watering the building down while demolishing it.

Using water is a common way to ensure asbestos fibers do not become airborne. Known as the “wet method,” it involves the saturation of asbestos-containing materials, such as floor tiles, to avoid dust during removal. Despite the effectiveness of the wet method, it is imperative that those conducting the removal still wear a mask that covers the nose and throat and disposes of clothing worn during the process to avoid transferring asbestos fibers from the jobsite to secondary locations.

The city of Elmira has also hired a licensed hauler to remove the debris in the next week or so. Debris will have to be disposed of in a designated landfill to avoid further exposure to asbestos fibers.

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