City Hall in Utica, New York had to shut down on Wednesday afternoon because of an asbestos scare. Subcontractors were working in a stairwell when they uncovered and disturbed some asbestos aroun 3:30pm. As a result, City Hall had to shut down and will probably not reopen until next week. Until then, the asbestos will be removed and the air will be tested for friable asbestos.
The asbestos disturbance was caused in part by a miscommunication. According to federal regulation, the building owner should tell the contractor that asbestos may be present. The contractor then relays the information to the subcontractor. Unfortunately, this information was not passed along and so the subcontractors were not looking for asbestos.
If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos, contact the New York mesothelioma attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 800-781-3955.