Controversy over Asbestos Contaminated Land Gift in Ohio
In June of last year, Cemex turned over a 70-acre property to the city of Fairborn, with plans for Wright State University to turn the land into a disaster response training center called Calamityville. The property includes land, buildings, tunnels and other structures that must first be cleaned of asbestos and other toxins before beginning the first responder’s project.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is very fire and heat resistant and was commonly added to cement, concrete and mortar products before becoming regulated in the mid 1980’s. Exposure to asbestos is now known to cause mesothelioma, an incurable cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen. Due to its toxicity and threat to human safety, federal and state regulations must be adhered to during clean up and removal of any asbestos containing materials. Proper removal and disposal of asbestos often comes with a high price tag.
Controversy exists because many view that the “gift” by Cemex was really a way to avoid taking responsibility for the cost of environmental clean up of the property after years of profiting with disregard to polluting the lands. The city did win $3 million in federal and state grants to clean up the property, with costs estimated anywhere between $1 million to $4.5 million. The argument is that when the clean up comes with such a huge price tag, Cemex’s actions are not actually generous but a way of escaping liability and responsibility to clean up the contamination they created.
For now, progress towards clean up and renovation of the site is slow yet the plan to rebuild and use the site as a center for disaster response training remains the same.
