Local and federal officials are investigating whether a building on Wallace Street in New Haven, Connecticut contains asbestos and if a removal permit may be needed to extract the dangerous fibers.

The location is a former automotive shop and has had two visits from health and environmental officials so far.

Previously, the shop was Auto Electric: Sperry Automotive Warehouse, which was bought by Wallace Street LLC for $285,000 from Sawco Associates. The division director of the city’s Health Department, Paul Kowalski, stated that one of his investigators and one of the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s investigators had been recently sent to the address.

These investigators were sent to the former automotive shop after receiving a call from the federal Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA). Kowalski stated that the reports indicated that there were bags of an unnamed material inside, but he did not believe any of the substance left the site.

Soon after, an inspector from the state Department of Health’s Asbestos Program visited the site with Rakaj. Local health and building personnel also attended along with an OSHA representative. Various materials from the building, like tiles, will be tested for asbestos with results expected to come soon.

Department of Public Health spokesperson William Gerrish stated that a preliminary review of state files found no previous indication of asbestos or asbestos exposure-related concerns.

The current owner of the former automotive shop has been notified of the situation, and will have to hire an asbestos consultant to assess the building and develop an asbestos cleanup plan if necessary.

If an asbestos extraction plan is needed, the procedure would have to be proposed and approved by the state Department of Public Health.

Overview of Asbestos Exposure Concerns

Asbestos is a microscopic fibrous material that is 700 times smaller than a human hair, which was commonly used for construction and insulation purposes since the late 1800s.

It was a popular choice for manufacturing companies for its economic prices, as well as for its fire and chemical resistant properties. While asbestos is harmless when dormant, it can have major health implications when released into the air.

When either inhaled or swallowed, these fibers can become lodged in either the throat or stomach or lungs.

These fibers can sit in their embedded spot for up to 50 years before causing any problems, leading to latent diagnoses of asbestos lung cancer and other asbestos exposure complications. After decades of dormancy, the asbestos fibers fester and cause cancer cell formation.

It is currently estimated that 4,800 people die per year in the United States from asbestos lung cancer, which represents four percent of all lung cancer cases in America. Patients seldom have a long survival expectancy, with the latent prognosis stage upon discovery and limited treatment options.