Officials in Jefferson County, Texas are spending $16,000 to remove asbestos from their old courthouse but the family of the late Judge James Ferris believes their efforts are too little, too late.

According to a story posted on KBTV’s web site, an attorney representing the late Jefferson County judge and his widow believes the asbestos in the old county courthouse is directly related to his client’s death in 2004 from a pulmonary disease. The suit was filed two years ago and is still ongoing, the story noted.

In the meantime, county commissioners voted to spend the money from the capital projects fund to fix the asbestos problem as well as pay for the investigation into the matter. They added that only two locations were earmarked for asbestos abatement – one on the fourth floor and another on the seventh.

Some of that money will also pay for recent air samples taken to ensure the safety of courthouse employees, the commissioners said.

Asbestos was used in the Jefferson County Courthouse to insulate pipes found behind ceilings and walls. The building was constructed prior to the issuance of asbestos use guidelines in the late 1970s.

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