Asbestos Abatement Project Causes Concern Among NY Residents

Staten Island, NYSome residents who live close to an asbestos abatement project in Staten Island, New York, say they are worried some of the deadly mineral may escape the work site, reports silive.com.

The city's School Construction Authority is performing the work at the former Doctor's Hospital with a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection, according to silive.com. Still, some locals have expressed concern that the some of the fibers may become airborne and put nearby residents at risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease like malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis.

"Everybody's got good intentions, and we hope we don't have any problems," Harold Johns, who lives a block from the work site, told the news source. "But what if there is a minor escape? Will people be alerted to get the hell out of here?"

The work began on August 20 and is supposed to take two months to complete.

Margie Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, said that there was no cause for alarm among residents. "There is no need to take any special precautions," she told the news source. "Workers who are in direct contact with the asbestos are the only ones required to wear protective suits."

Asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis kill 107,000 people annually worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.