California Residents Alarmed by Asbestos Contaminated Debris from Former Navy Base Fire

ALAMEDA - On March 29, 2009, a two alarm fire broke out at the town's former U. S. Navy Base that has been abandoned since the late 1990s and was a favorite haunt of teenaged partiers and vandals. Having earlier in the day responded to several small "nuisance" fires at the base, firefighters returned in force from as far away as Rockland Hills to fight a major fire that burned for over 19 hours and gutted the base's 63 year old main storage building before it had finally been extinguished.

The fire, according to some Alameda citizens, was just the beginning of a potentially more serious problem. Many residents near the base are concerned about reports that debris from the fire is contaminated with asbestos - an EPA classified carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Alameda resident Denise Lai, who lives on Pacific Avenue, reported that a piece of debris from the fire had been blown over a mile before it landed in her front yard. The piece of debris measured approximately two inches by one inch and has since been identified as having originated from the navy's storage building roof. When analyzed, the material that had landed in Lai's yard was found to contain approximately 10% nonfriable (non-crushable) asbestos.

"It was like black snow," Lai reported. "I had heavy, nonfriable asbestos in my yard. Can you imagine what was landing between my property and the fire?"
This is the question many Bay Area residents would like an answer to, and many of them are demanding that the city perform more tests to determine what, if any, health risk the fire debris presents to those who live, work or play in the area.

Asbestos was once widely used by manufacturers because of the naturally occurring silicate mineral's numerous desirable attributes and properties. Nearly fireproof, asbestos has superior electrical and thermal insulating qualities, is resistant to harsh chemical corrosives and more. Because of the unique nature of asbestos, the material found its way into countless products such as roofing materials.

In the early 1970s, scientists had confirmed that certain types of asbestos exposures could be dangerous to human health. Researchers discovered that microscopic, airborne asbestos fibers could be inhaled into the lungs where, up to 50 years later, they could cause the onset of serious respiratory diseases such as the incurable and deadly form of cancer known as malignant mesothelioma. Because asbestos can be an extremely toxic substance, Alameda residents are rightly concerned about the presence of the material in the naval base fire debris.

Alameda city officials have stated publicly that they don't believe the fire posed any threat to the health of nearby residents, this conclusion had been reached during an April 20 meeting between city officials and representatives from the Bay Area Air Quality Management agency, as well as other environmental safety agencies. Nevertheless, officials have pledged to further investigate any specific concerns voiced by residents in the area.

Fire Chief Dave Kapler sought to ease the fears of concerned citizens by stating, "The amount of debris that possibly contained asbestos was minimal. And asbestos isn't easily released into the air unless it's broken up or something else happens to it."

Some Alameda residents aren't so sure no health problem exists. "The fear is that, even though its nonfriable asbestos, it will be disturbed and broken apart and then it gets free," said area resident Liz Williams. "And then it becomes microscopic particles and gets into people's lungs."

It should be noted that Alameda residents reported windblown ash and debris as far away as Otis Drive, a main connecting route between Bay Farm Island, the city's main island, and the Oakland International Airport. It's unlikely, due to the number of citizens who are clamoring for further city action, that this issue will go away anytime soon.

Source: San Jose Mercury News

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