Colorado community worried about asbestos
October 31, 2009
In Estes Park, Colorado, asbestos fears are on the rise after a fire gutted the Park Theatre Mall. According to Dr. George Crislip, asbestos could have been released during the fire. Dr. Crislip warned the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority (EPURA) about possible release of asbestos particles into the air during a recent EPURA meeting.
Referring to the incident as the "tragic fire that potentially let loose unknown quantities of asbestos", the doctor explained that it will be hard to calculate the amount of asbestos that might have been in the building at the time of the fire. "It`s a hidden disaster," he said.
Over time, those exposed to asbestos could develop pulmonary health issues, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, or mesothelioma, a rare cancer. Mesothelioma can take decades to develop. The cancer, which affects under three thousand new patients each year in the United States, can kill within months of being diagnosed.
In some cases, treatments like chemo can help patients. "That`s why HazMat`s so religious about its removal," he said. Crislip added, "I personally believe, from a medical standpoint, that we’ll have a disaster here (from which it will take a long time to recover)."
EPURA chairman Wayne Newsom said a redevelopment of the mall area could boost the local economy. "It would be an opportunity for them to get going again and another opportunity for us (EPURA)," he said.
Crislip told EPURA that the plumes of smoke from the fire could have carried asbestos particles over the whole downtown area.
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