Mesothelioma and Asbestos News

Marion County - Nine Marion County families are living in temporary housing after the Health Department determined they were in danger of asbestos contamination. It's believed as many as 18 buildings at the Timber Ridge apartment complex near 38th Street and Keystone are contaminated.

Red tape indicating the danger of an asbestos hazard is up at the Timber Ridge apartments near 38th Street and Keystone. City and County Health Department workers evacuated at least nine families earlier this week for safety reasons.

According to the Marion County Health Department Violation Notice, "accumulations of asbestos containing materials were observed in the interiors of the lower levels."

The protective plastic is up inside the building where Dequan Wilson and his mother Christina live on the third floor. "They should take everybody out of the building right to make it safer. There are just a couple of people in the building besides me and my friend and another woman with a baby," she said.

At this point, health officials say families like the Wilson's are not in danger on the second and third floors. "If we find there are asbestos fibers or asbestos containing materials on the second and third floors we will request that they are relocated," said Dana Reed Wise, Marion County Health Department.

An environmental company is now working on the section of the apartment complex in question. In addition to the nine buildings requiring asbestos removal, inspectors say another nine buildings, which are vacant, must be cleared of asbestos before they are reopened.

"We are making sure that the owners and operators of the apartments secure those and because the apartments are going through renovations at a later date we will go through and inspect those also," said Wise.

The asbestos cleanup could take up to the end of the year to complete.