Asbestos Presence Halts Work on Scottish Sports Arena

GLASGOW - Construction on Glasgow's new National Indoor Sports Arena and National Velodrome came to a halt recently when asbestos-a known cancer-causing agent-was discovered in soil that had been excavated at multiple locations on the site. The two sports structures will eventually provide a total of 9,000 seats for fans of the badminton and cycling events at Glasgow's 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The London Road site is directly adjacent to Celtic Park in the city's east end, and nearby residents have expressed some confusion as to why construction at the site had suddenly ceased. "We thought they had just run out of money," said one Glasgow resident. Other individuals who live in the area were both confused and somewhat alarmed by the presence of numerous environmental personnel at the site, all of whom have been dressed in white hazmat suits.

Still in the preconstruction phase, workers had begun site preparation excavations when an analysis of soils that had been disturbed in two separate locations tested positive for minute traces of asbestos. Work was immediately halted, and all workers were evacuated from the area. For now, the only personnel allowed at the site are the space-suited environmental experts who are working to determine what asbestos abatement procedures will be required before construction is allowed to resume.

Once widely used by industries around the globe, asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that exists in abundance on nearly every continent. The material can be found in the soil, as at the Glasgow site or in above-grade outcroppings. Asbestos comes in a wide variety of colors, types, and chemical compositions, though, the mineral-in any form-is considered to pose a dire risk to human health when microscopic, airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled into the lungs.

In the early 1970s, extensive research findings had begun to confirm the dangers of airborne asbestos exposures, and today, the toxic substance is largely banned in many countries around the world. Once inhaled into the lungs, asbestos fibers become permanently imbedded in soft tissues where, up to 50 years later, the microscopic, brittle, and needle-like particles can cause the onset of serious respiratory diseases.

The most feared of all the asbestos-caused illnesses is the incurable and inevitably fatal form of cancer known as malignant pleural mesothelioma. Because of the extreme toxicity of asbestos, construction officials at the sports venues site had little choice but to cease operations until more is learned about the soil contaminations and a suitable abatement plan is adopted.

Understandably, Glasgow citizens and Commonwealth Games Committee officials are disappointed by the delays-the 2014 games are seen as being pivotal to Scotland's sporting venue future. A variety of announcements from numerous city officials have been less than clear as to when the city expects construction to resume-time estimates of two weeks to two months or more are rumored to be possible.

Some Glasgow residents are concerned about more than construction delays-many citizens are concerned about their health. John Jack, a retiree who lives next door to the site is one such individual. "I just hope that none of this stuff is going to spread into the atmosphere around here, " said Jack. "It's unfortunate that we are the last people to be told about any of this."

Mr. Jack said he spoke for many of his neighbors who were likewise concerned about airborne asbestos fibers coming from the extensive excavations next door. "If someone is exposed to asbestos, they can get a very bad kind of lung cancer that can be fatal within 14 months," said Jack. "The cancer would be likely to take around 15 to 20 years before exhibiting itself." he continued, "It's like a time bomb inside of you."

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