In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, an airport terminal in need of asbestos removal is delaying the grand opening of the new General Aviation Terminal. According to airport officials, the old terminal is in need of asbestos removal before it can be torn down.
When the old terminal is finally torn down, there will be room made available to make some finishing touches on the new terminal. According to General Aviation Manager Mike Marlowe, the asbestos removal process will take about a month. More asbestos than was previously expected was found at the site, which dates back to 1956.
The removal of asbestos takes a long time, and it can be very expensive. This is due to the many federal and state regulations in place which govern the handling, removal, and proper disposal methods for asbestos. The material, once prized for its natural resistance to heat and chemical damage, is now known to cause health problems if inhaled or ingested, even in minute amounts.
Asbestos exposure is linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that often affects the lungs. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure. The cancer often kills patients within months of being diagnosed.
”We’re waiting to get the building down, parking lot completed and all the landscaping so that it looks like all the drawings that we’ve done," said Marlowe.