The government says that building with asbestos/ lead can't be torn down, is this really true?

Question

Someone said that someone they know worked for an asbestos removal team. That it was really dangerous work. Finally law makers passed legislation that people had to stop tearing them down because it was a greater health risk to the workers and people living in the immediate area to tear the building down , due to it is old, it breaks,a and not in one piece, than it is to just leave them standing. All it takes is the smallest piece of asbestos in your lungs for you to develop serious lung and other illnesses.

What do you think, could they evacuate the buildings? I see people living in brand new buildings all the time that says "This building is known to the state of California to cause cancer" So the problems are that they are building more buildings with toxins, and/ or leaving dangerous buildings just standing, giving off fumes and maybe not evacuating them. Something seems wrong?

Answer 1

I live in Iowa. My house has asbestos siding. I could remove it, but I would have to hire a hazardous materials team to do it. They'd have to put a tent over my house to contain any dust, and dispose of the siding in a toxic waste dump.

So I figure Building with asbestos or lead can be torn down. It would just be more expensive and time consuming.

Answer 2

Asbestos can be easily contained and removed-its' a question of cost. Asbestos blows in the wind in the form of dust, its' everywhere in the soil- few people realize this. There are tens of millions of old homes with asbestos covered ducting yet millions are not dying from it. It was mostly due to an over reaction due to the many asbestos workers who were exposed daily and died as a result. If left alone it will harm no one merely be an eyesore.