Asbestos cancer alert: mesothelioma-causing asbestos complicates sale of hospital property
In Norwich, Connecticut, the City Council ruled earlier this week to forgo the purchase of a former hospital property known to contain asbestos. The Norwich City Council met on Tuesday night and voted unanimously to reject the purchase the former Norwich Hospital.
“When I first ran (for office), I was a supporter,” Mayor Peter Nystrom told the council. “I will be voting no. It is clear that the state will offer no assistance. This city cannot afford that risk.”
Alderman Pete Desaulniers added, “One of many [reasons for rejecting the offer] is that we do not have a plan for development,” he said. “We don’t know what we want there.”
The asbestos-tainted property was offered to the city by the state of Connecticut, and the council has until the 24th of this month to purchase the building and its 61 acre parcel for the incredibly low price of just $1. According to Alderwoman Deb Hinchey, “This [decision] does not close the door [with the state].”
Soil on the property is believed to contain hazardous materials like chemicals and petroleum, and the buildings themselves contain both lead-based paint and asbestos. Asbestos exposure is linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer often affecting the lungs and other major organs and tissues.
Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, with the cancer typically lurking dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms. The majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.
“I’ve been in real estate for 46 years,” local resident Rodney Bowie said during public comment. “There are too many ifs and doubts about this. … I don’t want us to take on that bonded debt.”
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