In Harrison County, Kentucky, local officials have elected to convert the former Harrison hospital complex into county offices. The Harrison County Commissioners recently selected the contractors to renovate the former county hospital complex. Renovations for the county’s new multi-million dollar Government Center will be conducted by AML Inc., who is acting as general contractor.

Other contractors will take on plumbing and electrical needs. As for the deadly asbestos lurking within the hospital complex, Midwest Services Group will tackle the abatement portion of the project. Asbestos removal for the complex will cost a reported $434,895.

The removal of asbestos is often painstaking, time-consuming, and very expensive. This is because asbestos removal must be completed in accordance with state and federal regulations. Asbestos exposure has been linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer which affects less than 3,000 Americans each year. The cancer remains incurable at the present time, although ongoing cancer research may offer a cure sometime in the future. The majority of patients lose their battle with this kind of cancer in less than two years. Mesothelioma is not the only health risk associated with asbestos exposure: inhaling or ingesting the tiny fibers may also cause severe lung damage and scarring, as well as lung cancer.

Other contracts were awarded by the Harrison County Commissioners for phone service, radio towers, furniture, and electronic equipment. The renovation project is expected cost about $14 million, according to James Goldman, president of the Harrison County Commissioners. The project should wrap up in January of 2011.