Neighbors Wonder About Asbestos

Article Added October 21st, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

A new neighborhood planned for the outskirts of San Diego are being eyed with hesitation by neighbors. Though samples have declared the site safe, those in the area fear that construction could stir up old asbestos.

Plans for a new neighborhood in Lemon Grove, a small city on the border of San Diego, are currently on hold as neighbors of the site protest the safety of construction. The area was formerly the site for the Encanto Gas Holder, a plot of lad lined with asbestos to insulate fuel that was stored below the soil. Soil samples have been taken and deemed safe, but neighbors fear that as construction commences, asbestos will be released in the area. The City Board has approved the new homes amid the protest of those that may already have been exposed to the asbestos.

Asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, can all result from prolonged asbestos exposure. Perhaps the worst of the conditions, mesothelioma is a form of aggressive lung cancer that results from asbestos fibers being introduced into the lungs. The lungs cannot expel the fibers, which lodge in the tissue and result in killing the tissue of the lungs. The developer of Lemon Grove assures that a member of the EPA will monitor the construction, minimizing the chance of asbestos exposure.

Article Added October 21st, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story