Asbestos traces found after house demos
Cost-savings and public safety benefits by swiftly demolishing dangerous vacant houses in Detroit could outweigh the risk of asbestos exposure to people in neighborhoods, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.
A study of 25 emergency demolitions found small to undetectable concentrations of asbestos, which has been linked to cancer, mesothelioma and other illnesses.
Of 101 air samples analyzed, 54 showed a measurable “amount of dust of any kind,” said Rick Neitzel, associate professor of environmental health science and principal investigator on the study.
But only one microscopic asbestos fiber was found in samples from each of two houses.
“Frankly, I was expecting to find more asbestos,” Neitzel said. “We were extremely surprised, and it was great news from a public health perspective.”
The average cost to tear down a vacant house in Detroit is about $12,600, according to the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Nearly, $4,000 of that cost goes to removing asbestos before demolition, as required by federal rules.
The study suggests that money could instead be spent on tearing down more houses.
“Crime and things associated with blighted homes likely pose a much bigger impact from a public health perspective,” Neitzel said.
But city officials noted that federal requirements would have to change for them to stop doing abatement.
“We are encouraged that this study shows our environmental protocols during demolition have effectively protected residents,” Detroit Demolition Director LaJuan Counts told The Associated Press. “Unless there is a change at the federal level, we will continue to include abatement as part of our standard demolition protocols.”
The exception being emergency demolitions when “abatement is not possible due to worker safety concerns,” Counts said.