Mesothelioma asbestos removed from former KD Station

Hazardous waste has been removed from the property of the former KD Station is Sioux City, Iowa. Although the building has been demolished, the demolition project isn’t finished.

Sioux City officials have noted that cleanup crews need to remove petroleum on the North side of the site. The removal will prep the site for future development. Officials hope to finish the abatement by October.

Demolition crews have already removed asbestos from the site, reports KTIV. The hazardous material was removed in order to make the property safer.

When asbestos is disturbed, without first being properly removed, the particles can become airborne, and pose a serious health risk to those exposed. Extended exposure to the hazardous material has been known to cause several diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is the most rare and aggressive asbestos-related cancer, known to affect nearly 3,000 Americans each year. The disease forms from the mesothelium, and most commonly affects the lung, heart and abdominal cavities.

Due to an extended latency period, even the best mesothelioma doctorsstruggle to diagnose patients with the disease, early on. Because of this, treatment tends to arrive in the later stages of the patient’s condition.

City officials are pleased to see the building fall. Michelle Brady, Sioux City Community Development, explained: "When you’ve been working on something for several years and it’s a slow process, when you actually see the work get done and now you see nothing on the site, that’s kind of exciting."

The demolition project cost the city $4 million.