New Jersey Firehouse Project Delayed by Asbestos

VINELAND - It seems Vineland residents will have to wait a little longer before construction on a new firehouse can begin. The city's plan to raze a number of structures located at 810 East Chestnut Avenue is now in a holding pattern until contractors are able to submit a second bid on the demolition project, a bid that will include expenses for extensive asbestos abatement procedures that will have to be carried out before any demolition work can be done. Asbestos is a known cancer-causing substance, and it apparently exists in some abundance in the
E. Chestnut Ave. structures that were long ago slated to be torn down.

Vineland officials had already received a first round of bids on the demolition project, though, it had become clear (due to the extreme costs disparity of bids submitted) that some contractors were aware of the asbestos removal requirements for the job while others were not. Vineland Business Administrator Denise Monaco admitted that the city's first request for bids did not include information on the need for asbestos abatement, and the call for a second round of bids was the only practical way to remedy the situation.

Administrator Monaco thought all bidders would have known that asbestos was very likely to be present in the E. Chestnut Ave. buildings. "They should have taken asbestos cleanup into consideration," said Monaco of the 16 bidders who have vied for the demolition work. "Some did take it into account," added Monaco, "but the specifics should have been made clearer. That's why we sent out another bid."

The buildings to be torn down were once a warehouse, a structure that formerly served as an office building, and a two story brick building that remains as one of the city's oldest school buildings. Because of their age, all three structures contain significant amounts of asbestos contaminated building materials that, if handled improperly, can pose a dire threat to workers and members of the Vineland community at large.

Excavated from the earth or extracted from rock formations, asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral that exists in some abundance in countries around the globe. Asbestos exists in a broad spectrum of types, chemical compositions, and colors, though, there are a number of common and desirable characteristics shared by all forms of the hazardous material. Asbestos has been used by mankind for centuries, and it's a material that was once widely prized by numerous industries.

Asbestos is practically fireproof, it has an unusually high tensile strength, it is nearly impervious to damage from moisture, mold or harsh chemical corrosives, and more. Because of these attributes, asbestos found its way into hundreds of products that once surrounded us every day. In the early 1970s, however, researchers confirmed the fact that certain types of exposures to asbestos could be lethal, and strict bans on the widespread use of asbestos in the United States soon went into place.

The greatest danger from asbestos is presented when microscopic, airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lungs and become permanently embedded in soft tissues. Years later, in some cases up to 50 years later, these asbestos fibers can cause the onset of diseases such as the lethal cancer killer known as malignant mesothelioma.

Because of the extreme toxicity of asbestos, specially trained and equipped asbestos abatement workers will be needed to remove asbestos from the
E. Chestnut Ave. structures before actual demolition and haulage of debris can begin. Asbestos removal can be a tedious process that requires a great deal of time and money; cost estimates for demolition and asbestos cleanup are now at approximately $275,000 and could easily go higher. Some city officials point to the ironic and disappointing fact that the cost of tearing down the buildings is fast approaching the $330,000 the city paid for them.

Source: The Daily Journal

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