In Fort Myers, Florida, state inspectors are currently investigating concerns regarding the presence of asbestos at the site of the $25 million dollar Summerlin overpass project. Task force members from the Florida Environmental Protection agency are combing the area in search of asbestos-laden material, which might be present in pipes, fill material, and other objects. Exposure to even minute amounts of asbestos is considered unsafe and accidentally inhaling or ingesting these small particles of asbestos mineral can be deadly.

Exposure to asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the heart, lungs, or lining of the abdominal cavity. This cancer has a long latency period, but when symptoms do emerge the cancer spreads rapidly through the human body.

"If you look in close, you can see the fibers up in here and that’s usually an indication of asbestos," said Sherrill Culliver of FDEP. "I won’t be sure until I get my results back. But professionally, we’ve come across this a lot," Culliver added, explaining that the material found on the site must be tested in a lab to confirm that it contains asbestos.

If asbestos is found at the site, the FDEP will conduct further investigations. The contractor running the overpass site is Posen Construction, which has a past history of asbestos-related incidents. Florida state limits allow 260 feet of asbestos to be present at construction sites, and it remains to be seen how much asbestos is present at the site. If a large amount of asbestos is found at the site, the responsible parties may be responsible for the cost of cleanup.

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