New Asbestos Concerns At Castle West Apartments

Concern over the demolition of the Castle West Apartments is prompting the State Health Department to take a closer look at how it’s being handled.

After a call from NEWSCHANNEL 13, an inspector was sent down to make sure no asbestos escaped the contained area. Our call was prompted after nearby homeowners called to tell us about how much dust was coming from the debris site.

Crews began demolishing what is left of the burned out apartment this weekend. When NEWSCHANNEL 13 was videotaping Monday, we noticed crews spraying water on one section while tearing it down.

A plastic barrier was also put up around the fence to help keep dust down, but Rich Coleman felt it wasn’t enough “I saw one gentleman out there with a hose, a little bigger than a garden hose, spraying water on the debris and he wasn’t spraying where the debris was being moved,” says Coleman.

His biggest concern is that the area is compact and surrounded by a playground, a church, and other apartments. Christopher Dann, who works with the Health Department, says dust related to the demolition is a concern for the Air Pollution Division. “If we come down there and take a look and determine that what controls they are using aren’t working or no controls are being applied, that could be a situation were we take action. ”

The owners of Castle West tells NEWSCHANNEL 13 the company it hired has 20 years of experience and followed all state and federal guidelines.