Asbestos abatement will begin next month at the former East-Central Illinois Air Force Base, located in the village of Rantoul, Illinois, and Public Works Director Greg Hazel says he is “pleased” with decision.
Air Force officials say that over a mile (approximately 6,000 feet) of former steam pipes are covered in asbestos insulation, and all of it will be removed from the property. The project is expected to cost about $150,000.
Paul Carroll, a spokesman for the Air Force, stated that the pipes must be removed to ensure the health and safety of Rantoul residents who live near the former base. Abatement has been delayed for several years due to disputes between the village of Rantoul and Air Force officials over who is financially responsible for the asbestos removal.
Chanute Air Force base, which is roughly 100 miles south of Chicago, opened in 1917 and served as a technical training facility until it closed in 1993. Sections of the former base have been remodeled and the land now includes a popular golf course and hotels and the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum.
The asbestos-laden pipes are not the only source of concern at the base. Heritage Lake, located on the southeast corner of the base, was used as a dumping area for toxic waste and is now contaminated. In addition, many of the original buildings also contain asbestos materials.
Upon asbestos abatement, environmental officials will conduct air quality and soil monitoring to determine whether or not the areas surrounding the pipes are contaminated. If the soil is deemed dangerous, it will be dug up and replaced.
Citizens residing in the village of Rantoul have been concerned about their health since the base closed in the nineties, as asbestos exposure may lead to a number of diseases, including asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer.
For more information about asbestos exposure, mesothelioma cancer, mesothelioma treatment methods, and more, please visit Mesothelioma.com, the web’s leading resource for mesothelioma information.
