Asbestos Confirmed in Philly Building Collapse

Since the June 5^th collapse of a large building in Center City Philadelphia, officials have been concerned about the presence of asbestos in the remaining rubble and the fact that many first responders to the site may have been exposed to the toxic mineral. Now, with the results of testing available, asbestos has been confirmed and those who were at the location after the collapse will most likely start worrying about whether or not they inhaled the mineral’s sharp, toxic fibers.

A story aired on Philadelphia’s NBC-10 News confirms the report and adds that the city’s Risk Management Division has now sent a message and Asbestos Exposure Incident report to all those who responded to the collapse at 22^nd and Market Streets in a busy downtown area of Philly. The report asks several questions, such as whether or not the emergency responder or firefighter was wearing protective clothing while at the scene. Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers believes most – if not all – of the 125 emergency crews were not.

Unfortunately, the belief that there was no asbestos in the building was as a result of a shoddy report by Kenneth Hudson, a licensed asbestos investigator, who claimed he inspected the building and found none.

“What I see, I document, I take samples of it, if need be, if there is suspect material. There wasn’t any suspect material, so there wasn’t any reason for me to take a sample,” Hudson has repeatedly told the media.

The City of Philadelphia has Hudson’s inspection report, but refuses to make it available to the public, notes the news story, citing the grand jury investigation into the collapse, which killed 6 people when the building fell onto a Salvation Army Store located next door.