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Asbestos clean up is going on in a long-abandoned hospital at Illinois town. A Superfund team appointed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has started removing asbestos and old chemicals from the former St. Mary's Hospital and the old Southern Medical Center.
The cost estimated is $1.2-million and the work is expected to be finished in July.
St. Mary's Hospital, which was closed in 1986, has become a refuge for the homeless in this impoverished far southern Illinois town.
There are several environmental hazards in the property which contains frayed asbestos-wrapped piping and floor surfaces containing asbestos. Apart from this, there are little bits of mercury in the cracks of spaces. The site has different containers of flammable and hazardous chemicals which are yet to be identified.
The EPA is very much concerned about those who seek refuge in the asbestos contaminated building. "We don't believe any of the asbestos or other contaminants are being dispersed by wind or other elements however, the site has become a dangerous attraction for people seeking refuge," said Mick Hans, an EPA spokesman.
"People are getting on the property, and we want to take care of that. Taking care of the hazardous materials in it would be a step in the right direction," he added.
EPA is planning to send the asbestos materials and other solid waste removed from the site to a Jackson County landfill. However,waste chemicals will be packed for special handling and disposal.
The building may be demolished after the cleanup however, this has not been fixed so far. "EPA funds cover only the cleanup, leaving the site's fate for someone else to decide," Hans said.
Asbestos is a natural material that is made of tiny threads, or fibers. It is very popular in manufacturing and industry due to its strength, chemical and thermal stability. The small, buoyant fibers are easily inhaled or swallowed, causing a number of serious diseases including: asbestosis, a chronic disease of the lungs that makes breathing more and more difficult; cancer; and mesothelioma, a cancer (specific to asbestos exposure) of the membranes that line the chest and abdomen.
Mercury is a very powerful poison even in small amounts. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of mercury exposure include irritability, fits of anger, lack of energy, fatigue, low self-esteem, drowsiness, decline of intellect, low self-control, nervousness, memory loss, depression, anxiety, shyness/timidity and insomnia.
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