Asbestos Discovery Pauses Cinnamon Bay Redevelopment Activities in the U.S. Virgin Islands

The National Park Service (NPS) recently announced that the redevelopment of Cinnamon Bay Campground in the U.S. Virgin Islands was being delayed to allow for the abatement of asbestos found during precautionary testing of underground sewer pipes. The campground area has been shut down since Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage and was undergoing repairs by a park concessionaire.
 
According to the NPS, the discovery was made when the construction company was completing a section of an underground pipe replacement project. In some sections of Cinnamon Bay Campground, the pipes had not been replaced or repaired in over 40 years. Testing showed that the wastewater pipe was composed of 10% asbestos. The project was halted and workers were dismissed from the site until the material could be safely and properly removed and then replaced with safe, up-to-code pipes. 
 
“While the discovery of asbestos-containing pipes is a setback for the project, it’s good news for workers and the public that may have otherwise been exposed to asbestos fibers in the air they breathe when these old pipes were removed, stored, transported and then disposed of,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Cement pipes that contain asbestos were once commonly used up until the 1980s. As a sewer pipe underground it is not an exposure threat, but once removed from the ground and broken up, fibers from the pipes could become aerosolized and pose a hazard. Asbestos-containing drinking water pipes are another issue. People exposed to asbestos fibers in their drinking water is believed to be one possible cause of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM), a rare type of cancer of the peritoneum that surrounds the abdominal cavity.”
 
In addition to concerns over asbestos-containing cement pipes, many homes, businesses and institutions still have asbestos-containing materials both on the inside and on the outside of the buildings. Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers is known to cause serious health conditions, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. 
 
To help in these situations, the Caribbean’s leading asbestos testing and consulting providers from Zimmetry Environmental offer decades of expertise. Zimmetry is based in Puerto Rico and offers asbestos, lead and other industrial hygiene and environmental services to safeguard people, the environment, and to keep companies and institutions in regulatory compliance.
 
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their asbestos, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental and compliance services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

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Paul Cochrane

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Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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