Buffalo Industrial Site Cleared of Asbestos

After a cleanup process that took more than nine months and cost nearly two million dollars, workers with state and federal environmental agencies declared the now-closed Vibratech manufacturing plant in Buffalo, New York, cleared of asbestos and other hazardous materials. The company once used the plant to make equipment that reduced the vibrations in tractor-trailer trucks and diesel locomotive engines. Although workers have hauled away tons of toxic substances, including asbestos, from the site, business and government officials are still not sure as to what should become of the building.

Kevin M. Matheis, the coordinator of the cleanup efforts with the US Environmental Protection Agency, stated that the workers in charge of the asbestos remediation as well as the decontamination of the site from other toxic chemicals present there, have "done all (they) can do". He said that the crews have removed the threat to the local environment and have taken precautions to insure that civilians do not enter the site. As far as any future uses for the abandoned plant, Mr. Matheis referred questions on that subject to city officials.

Cleanup work on the ten-acre site began in October 2008. Months later, crews removed almost four miles of pipes contaminated with asbestos fibers. Also, some parts of the facility were used as a scrapyard for older automobiles, many of which used asbestos as fireproofing and insulation materials in doors, roofs and engine firewalls. Long-term exposure to asbestos has been linked to mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. Former workers at the plant have yet to come forward with diagnoses of mesothelioma and residents living near the facility have not reported any illnesses.

Before the cleanup, many city residents considered the site an eyesore and a blight on the community. Michael Basile, a public affairs specialist with the EPA, said that the facility was "a deplorable mess" before the cleanup effort started. New York State Sen. Antoine M. Thompson stated that homeowners on the same street as the plant "were just livid" at its rundown condition. Thieves would try to steal copper wiring and pipes; vandals would spray-paint the interior and exterior walls; vagrants and squatters would camp out in empty rooms. All of them were unaware of the potential health hazards from asbestos exposure, as well as high concentrations of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) created by the plant's manufacturing processes.

Besides the potential health issues of crews and those living near the plant, government agencies have stated their concerns over the high cost of the cleanup project. Mr. Matheis said that, since the EPA covered most of the bill for the cleanup project, the agency would pursue legal means to recover those expenses from the current owner of the building. Mario Pugliese, a resident of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, has been identified as the owner, but he has yet to return any of the attempts made by city agencies to reach him. Also, until the city can make contact with either Mr. Pugliese or whoever currently owns the facility, they cannot move forward on any plans to reclaim the site to attract a new tenant.

Sources: Buffalo News, Publicbroadcasting.net

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