Citadel Plaza has even more asbestos

The project already had plenty of it to deal with. This is one of several area cases being investigated.

By KAREN DILLON

The Kansas City Star

If there’s anything the asbestos-laden Citadel Plaza project didn’t need, it’s more asbestos.

But that’s just what happened in recent weeks as dump trucks brought in dirt that turned out to contain asbestos.

Now the Kansas City Health Department and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources are investigating to determine the level of contamination.

That’s just one of several area cases that are being investigated for the mishandling of asbestos, including the downtown Argyle Building, where construction work was temporarily shut down last week.

Workers at the Citadel Plaza retail development in the central city have spent months cleaning up the site, where houses were torn down, leaving asbestos in the ground.

When workers spotted a sign off Bruce R. Watkins Drive advertising free fill dirt, it looked to the developer, Community Development Corp., like a cheap way to help with the cleanup.

But after trucks hauled in 20 to 30 loads of the dirt, owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, workers for Kingston Environmental found that it, too, was laced with asbestos.

Kingston Environmental is doing the cleanup for the developers.

Bill Worley, co-owner of Kingston, said the contamination was small.

“We got some dirt, and we noticed it had little-bitty chips in it,” Worley said. “This is cute given everything we have been dealing with.”

Frank Rose, a spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, said they didn’t know the dirt contained asbestos.

Volunteers from the congregation are building a Kingdom Hall at 33rd Street and Garfield Avenue. Years ago, before there were strict regulations regarding the removal of asbestos, the Missouri Department of Transportation owned the property and tore down the houses for the U.S. 71 expansion, officials said.

The city’s health department has asked the congregation not to disturb the dirt until the investigation is complete, said Don Pickard, a department spokesman.

The city’s park department also took some of the free dirt for a dog park at the Raytown Road Sports Complex. Mark Bowland, a manager with the department, said tests would be done this week.

Among other asbestos cases in recent months:

•The Argyle Building at 12th and McGee streets.

On Oct. 4, a city employee called the health department to report that workers were throwing materials containing asbestos out the windows.

Health officials have ordered the work stopped on the 10-story building, which is being renovated. Workers are encasing parts of the building in plastic.

Tim Tucker, a project manager for McGowan/Walsh Urban Developers, said Major Abatement was doing the environmental work. Major Abatement was not available for comment.

•The former IGA Super Center at North Oak and 43rd streets.

In August an inspector found air quality violations. Two notices were issued to Jim Jones, the construction manager, and his father, Bryan Jones, who owns the building, according to the department.

•The Clarion Hotel. The owner and contractors were cited earlier this year. Since then, the hotel has reopened and been sold, and it’s now managed by Four Points by Sheraton. The health department said it had reached settlements with three contractors.

•University Towers. Rehab work is continuing after construction areas were shut down for several weeks. That asbestos problem has been cleaned up, Pickard said.