Dec 21, 2009 - Asbestos Clean Up at Paper Mill
A fire last year damaged a 313,000 square foot vacant building that used to house Parsons Paper Mill, the first paper company in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Parsons, established in 1853, closed in 2005. The owners, National Vulcanizes Fiber Co., have since filed bankruptcy.
The fire, a result of a thirteen year olds act of arson, destroyed most of the building and left it in ruins. Like most buildings built before 1980, it was constructed with asbestos containing materials. The paper mill site contained asbestos in its roof shingles, window caulking, and pipe insulation.
Asbestos, when contained, does not pose a threat to public health. However, when disturbed or destroyed, such as in the case of fire, asbestos can become airborne and inhaled or ingested into the body. Carcinogenic fibers then lodge in the body and create diseases, such as mesothelioma, an incurable form of cancer.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State Environmental officials held a meeting for neighborhood residents to discuss the cleanup plan for the site, but community attendance was poor. Some expressed concern over what would become of the site after the clean up when the federal government has secured it and completed their involvement.
Almost $2 million has been provided by the federal government to perform clean up and decontamination of the site, with some hope that Vulcanized Fiber will be able to reimburse part of the funds in the future.
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