Barrington Approves $25,800 Asbestos Removal

(January 25, 2011) Barrington officials approved a $25,800 deal with Angel Abatement to clear away the asbestos in a property formerly owned by ADCO Van & Storage.

Earlier this week, the village held a board meeting to vote for the asbestos removal. The fund for the asbestos remediation came from a $75,000 Brownfield grant from the Lake County Planning Department. Officials said that the residual portion will be used for a similar project, but on a different deal.

Meanwhile, the demolition is right now underway at a prime site on Hough Street, Barrington. The construction was 28,000-square foot high, which was bought for about one million dollars in 2001 from ADCO, the former occupant and owner of the place. Still, it already moved out on May 31 last year. Ten years ago, reports said that high levels of asbestos were found in the building, which was linked to a number of asbestos cancer cases in the village.

Asbestos, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is a mineral fiber ordinarily used for the production of structure materials like insulation and fire-retardant. When asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed by repair, remodeling or demolition activities, microscopic fibers become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs, resulting in significant health problems like asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.

These underlying factors raised concerns among the villagers of Barrington, whose lives may be at risk due to the exposure of these toxic substances.  Peg Blanchard, Director of Barrington?s economic community and development, assured the residents that the amount of asbestos in the facility was not an imminent threat. Peg said that the remediation is only part of the modifications made that will change the use of the infrastructure in the community.