FEMA Says No to Asbestos Cleanup Funds

FEMA Says No to Asbestos Cleanup Funds

Asbestos Levels in Air Far Exceed Federal Limits

The Federal Emergency Management Administration has denied residents of Chafee Crossing, Arkansas federal disaster area status after a fire destroyed over 150 WWII area structures in the area on January 29^th. With this development, the area has been denied access to federal funds that would largely finance the cleanup operations, including those of asbestos abatement, which have been estimated at $4.6 million. Local officials say that if the town were forced to foot the bill it would handcuff the local economy for several years.

Part of what is blocking the funding are EPA test performed after the fire which indicated that the asbestos levels were low enough that the site did not qualify for the EPA’s Superfund, which levies fees upon polluters that are redirected back into environmental quality improvements. However, tests performed by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality found asbestos contamination in some areas to be much higher than EPA estimates, potentially endangering citizens in the surrounding area.

Also thwarting the area’s access to federal funds are the target goals of the cleanup. Most of the FEMA funds are reserved for cleanup in addition to rebuilding efforts. Rebuilding is not part of the town’s intentions, as nearly all the buildings destroyed were abandoned several years ago. However, due to their age, nearly all of these structures contained at least some asbestos in their building compounds or other materials.

The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Commission has indicated that the EPA plans to return in 30 days for further testing, though experts say an appeal of the ruling is unlikely because of the complicated terms for qualifying for the federal funds. At the moment however, the asbestos remains highly concentrated in some areas and cleanup efforts are not being addressed because of a tangled web of bureaucratic mandates.

Asbestos can be released into the air following fire and its microscopic fibers can easily be inhaled if they are in the vicinity. Asbestos has been conclusively linked with serious respiratory conditions, including mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

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