Fort Worth Groups Oppose Controversial Asbestos-Removal Technique

By Alison Gonzalez

Published on December 10, 2007

It's no surprise that residents want the Oak Hollow apartment complex in Woodhaven to be torn down. But it's the asbestos inside the complex that has many rethinking the scheduled demolition.

Usually, EPA regulations require asbestos to be removed before a wrecking ball destroys a building. If asbestos isn't removed, the material's deadly fibers can become airborne, and inhaling them can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other long-term conditions.

However, the EPA wants to use an experimental method to demolish one of the buildings that involves soaking the building with water before tearing it down to keep asbestos from entering the environment.

The method has been used once before to tear down a building on an abandoned base. But Lon Burnam, from the Texas House of Representatives, said using the method in a struggling neighborhood is a different case. He is worried the experiment may harm the lives of residents in the minority-dominated town.

Environmental management director Brian Boerner said the method is a safe and inexpensive way to eliminate vacant eyesores in the area. The test can help the city save up to 70 percent on asbestos-removal costs.

The building is scheduled to be demolished on Wednesday.

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