An interesting development has occurred at the site of the 94th Street mall demolition. The project has been shut down by the Maryland Department of the Environment due to the Contractor/Owner deciding not to remove the asbestos on the roof of the building. This was not an unknown portion of the project since a full environmental report was put out noting the locations and concentrations of asbestos. So basically all the dust generated by the demolition thus far has contained asbestos and traveled who knows how far. Hopefully the City and State will hold these individuals fully accountable for their actions for essentially potentially poisoning our precious barrier island.
23 comments:
I live 7 blocks South from that site - what direction were those howling winds blowing yesterday?
Absolutely horrible. I was at that Acme yesterday and was wondering about the flying debree. That mall has been a disaster for years. I can only imagine how bad it will look with the two book end stores sitting as islands. I'm sure the real reason they are tearing it down is because the ceiling is probably collapsing in there. That would be my guess.
11:33
Yesterday the winds were 13 miles out of the SW so it was blowing the other way and across Coastal Highway.
Original article in Steve's paper mentioned "We're hoping to complete the demolition by the start of the Summer season."
I read that Friday and continue laughing hysterically. EVERYONE to include prior members of City FAIL, knew the problems with the interior of the 94th Mall. ASBESTOS was first/foremost, followed by rodents.
Its IS believable that this project was allowed to begin and believable when someone finally said WHOA!!! City FAIL will spin this and play stupid - folks who have been around long enough know better.
Shame Shame Shame!
thanks, 11:33
12:43- Thanks for your insight. Do you think that is why the property has been sitting there for years with no action? I was surprised when this pretty much came out of nowhere as it is a big deal to tear down a mall. Is the rodent problem one of the reasons they never decided to open the mall upa gain? It's absurd how long this place has sat empty. Also absurd that there are two bookend tennants, isn't the asbestos and rodents part of their units too? In the Roses store you can see into the old mall so I wonder how they will fix that.
Town of Ocean City is already in damage control!
I want to know who is going to check my property to make sure it doesn't have asbestos dust on it! Town of Ocean City's people better not sweep this under the rug!!!
Glad I only use my beach place in the summer.
Joe
Before everyone goes and gets there panties twisted about the asbestos,let me point out a few things. First any asbestos material that was used on a roof is encapsulated in asphalt and is not considered friable asbestos. Friable asbestos is any asbestos that can be crushed or pulverized by finger pressure. Being in the commercial roof industry for many years and been through projects at the beginning of the whole asbestos issue that where tested and monitored extensively and found that roofing materials very rarely allowed asbestos particles in the air. There are also studies complied from asbestos removal project from all across the country that have been handed over to the National Roof Contractors Association and if I remember correctly there might have been one in ten thousand jobs that might have even come close to the level of concern.
The dust that everyone is talking about is from debris getting up on the roof and trapped between the gravel as well as the gravel starting to break down due to its age and sand from the beach as well. According to the State of Maryland when it comes to removing asbestos containing roof materials you cannot use a saw or any other power equipment that is considered to be of a sawing motion to cut the material. If anyone would stop and think for a moment when you are cutting through asphalt and the asbestos material that the sawing motion heats up the blades and the materials and makes it so it encapsulated. I have been in the roofing industry for over 40 years.
Thank you
Nice explanation, 3:47, but if the Maryland Department of the Environment want to get involved they will find a way to screw over these people regardless of what the law is.
Demo contractors are from the other side of bridge!! The Bay Bridge that is. Cheaper must not be all that good!!!
Work! Why would anyone want to do that? It is so much easier to apply for SNAP, Independence, Obamacare, believe me you are much better off than actually working.
Same problem came to light at Ocean Downs when Rickman went to tear down the old grandstands for the casino. Work started and then stopped when asbestos was found everywhere and the old lead paint. The old grandstand was in open air year after year - vastly different than the 20 PLUS years the 94th street mall has been a closed. Rickman went many extra month of clean up (no power tools) for that endeavor. The mall will take longer. Many may also remember prior to the no smoking laws in MD, the mall was a haven for we gray hairs who would smoke/play keno all day long in the middle part of the mall. Lots of great memories - but the cleanup will be long and costly - hence the MANY years of it sitting there. Owners new the price tag just as well as City Hall.
3:47
I am so glad you clarified that about it not being friable. There could absolutely be no way that once the material is mechanicly collapsed 30 feet down and then run over by steel tracks on top of concrete that it would produce any dust at all. Thank goodness they didn't use a saw on the roof or we would all be screwed. It's refreshing to get the opinion of a roofing contractor and not someone who may be in the actual business of demolition. You rock with your infinite knowledge and I hope to be as smart as you some day.
So typical for OC. Do you expect any less from "pay me under the table" Chief building official Kevin Brown?
Don't you mean tephlon Brown. Nothing bad sticks to that slime covered snake.
That's teflon Bro.
Any updates on this? We're worried and want to know what's happening.
Well said!
Call city hall if u need answers..
We did call and they said there’s nothing to worry about. Some sneaky sh$t going on!!
Read the dispatch, updated to show that the building was built AFTER the asbestos laws were changed, so nothing is dangerous, but to appease the locals they are hosing the debris down to limit dust.
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