Asbestos removal required in Kentucky courthouse prior to demo
Asbestos removal has begun at the site of two Franklin County, Kentucky courthouse annexes, in preparation for a planned April 7th demolition of the annexes to make way for a $30 million Franklin County Judicial Center. Gateway Environmental Service Inc., of Highland, Illinois, submitted the lowest bid for the demolition project, in the amount of $335,440.
Judge-Executive Ted Collins, chairman of the Project Development Board overseeing the judicial center’s construction, told reporters that while he was disappointed “the local bidder wasn’t in the running,” local laborers will still be invited to work on the project. “They’ll bring in their experts, supervisors and equipment and use a pool of employees from Frankfort and the Central Kentucky region,” Collins said.
The asbestos removal required by law prior to the demolition of the annexes will be tackled by Environmental Assurance Co. Inc., of Indianapolis. They submitted the lowest bid for asbestos removal and lead-based paint stabilization in the amount of $144,000. Asbestos removal is important in order to keep the material from becoming airborne during demolition, as inhaling airborne asbestos particles or dust has been linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. While there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure for mesothelioma. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years following diagnosis.
Roger Lashbrook with Codell Construction Co., construction manager for the judicial center, is hopeful that bids for construction work for the new judicial center will be very competitive, due to the current economic climate. He said, “This is a very hot bidding market and hopefully that will continue through June when we bid the construction.”
