Chico’s Garden Walk Mall closed until February for asbestos abatement

The Garden Walk Mall in Chico, California first had to face flooding in late December, and now it’s suffering through asbestos abatement work. Just days before Christmas, a sprinkler pipe burst, flooding shops and destroying mall carpeting. It was during the water cleanup that mall owner Tom Hall found asbestos in the floors.

Asbestos is a toxic mineral that was used widely during the 19th and 20th centuries because of its strength and fire resistant properties. However, its use was banned in the late 1980’s because it became common knowledge that asbestos causes lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the lungs, heart, chest and abdomen.

The 1950’s floor tiles, which were damaged by the flooding, were rife with the carcinogenic substance. Now, to prevent a major environmental and health hazard there is no option other than asbestos abatement. Not abating the asbestos would put mall workers and patrons at risk of contracting any of the many types of asbestos cancer, which can take decades to develop and are generally detected late because they tend to be a-symptomatic until they reach stage three or four.

The mall’s asbestos abatement and further repairs will be handled in two parts. Merchants near Wall Street should be back in business by early February, while stores closer to Main Street should be operating by early March. In the meantime, merchants will have to work with their insurance companies to stay afloat until it’s safe to return to work.