A Buffalo developer has said that $12 million will be poured into an asbestos abatement project for two buildings in downtown Buffalo prior to their scheduled demolition.
Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.'s chairman, Jordan A. Levy, said the Memorial Auditorium and Donovan State Office Building both require asbestos removal before the structures can be torn down without releasing deadly asbestos fibers on the town. The buildings' demolition is part of a $400 million Buffalo waterfront redevelopment project.
Levy said the company wants to have the work done as quickly and safely as possible, but one can't afford to be cheap when it comes to dealing with asbestos, a naturally-occurring material that causes serious health illnesses if inhaled.
Over 1,250 tons of asbestos-containing materials have been removed from the two structures since the work began in April. The list of things removed includes pipe insulation, fire-retardant wall coatings, and floor and ceiling tiles.
The debris has filled up 70 tractor-trailer loads and has been transported to a federally-approved landfill for asbestos in Ohio.
According to officials close to the project, the asbestos abatement is nearly 60 percent finished. More than 100 asbestos-certified workers and supervisors are working on the site everyday.
Crews are outfitted with safety suits, respirators, and multiple layers of barriers. After their shifts, crew members are also required to shower before changing back into their non-work clothes.
Asbestos work on Memorial Auditorium is expected to be completed by October 3 and cleanup on the Donovan site is scheduled to wrap up by December 9. Both buildings will be demolished before construction season in Spring 2009.
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