Friday, December 25th, 2009
In Brooklyn, New York, city council members have passed a new piece of asbestos legislation, the last in a 12 part series of bills to overhaul the regulations regarding asbestos, construction, and demolition. This latest piece of legislation prohibits simultaneous demolition and asbestos abatement activities in Brooklyn’s buildings, and will take effect in 180 days.
The bill was passed in an effort to protect firefighters, as their access to a building that is undergoing both demolition and asbestos abatement was limited. In 2007, a fire at Deutsche Bank killed two New York City firefighters who were trapped in the building, which was undergoing both abatement and preparations for demolition.
Exposure to asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive cancer of the heart, lungs, or abdomen which can kill within months of being diagnosed. While some treatments can help patients, the majority perish within 2 years of being diagnosed.
“Taken together, these 12 measures represent a significant overhaul of the City’s demolition and asbestos abatement procedures,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
“Working together with the administration and the construction industry, we will continue to raise the standard for construction safety across our ever-growing city in the most responsible and vigilant way possible.”
“This law was generated from expert testimony at hearings of the Council’s Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Committee, proving once again that the legislative branch of government has a role to play in making sure that livability and safety come first in the rebuilding of downtown,” said Council Member Alan J. Gerson, sponsor of the bill. “In fact, the whole city gains from our experience.”
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