In Chester, New York, long abandoned sheds and pumping stations are proving to be more problematic than the everyday eyesore. These buildings were constructed using what are now deemed toxic chemicals and building materials, which are now seeping into the surrounding soil. What is even more troubling is that nearby Glenmere Lake is at great risk of contamination. Glenmere Lake provides the drinking water for the Town of Florida, and should its waters become contaminated, Florida’s citizens would find themselves in grave danger.

Asbestos is one toxic mineral that appears on the list of contaminants. Asbestos is a carcinogenic mineral known to cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare but extremely dangerous cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major organs.

Clean-up of the Glenmere Lake area has become paramount for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), who see a very real possibility of an entire town being affected by the hazards, such as arsenic. Cleanup workers face exposure themselves, and will have to use extensive safety equipment, including respirators, as asbestos exposure generally occurs via inhalation of asbestos fibers.  These fibers fester in the lungs for decades, ultimately causing the onset of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, which affect the lining of the lungs and abdomen, respectively.

The decaying property in question was once a part of the Glenmere Mansion but was abandoned when its owners could not pay the taxes to keep up the pumps and sheds.  The state must now deal with their demolition and the containment of the chemical release. Even so, the DEC’s priority is first to remove the contaminated soil to prevent contamination of the lake.

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