Officials from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division recently descended upon a decrepit structure in the town of Rossville where, nearby residents believe, asbestos is being improperly and illegally removed and causing dangerous dust to become airborne.

A story aired on News Channel 9 sites the investigation of the old Peerless Mill in the town of Rossville, near Chattanooga, Tenn., where locals say asbestos is being removed without a permit. As trucks full of the material leave the site, nearby residents worry about the potential of exposure.

“It’s in my back door,” said James Guy, who has lived behind the property for about 25 years. “Does that make it even scarier? It sure does.”

“My lungs are kind of important to me you know, your intake of that stuff can scratch your lungs, scar your lungs up, it’s just a bad thing,” Guy said, noting that he fears the eventual development of asbestos-caused diseases like asbestosis or mesothelioma.

“I guess my family will wear masks if we’re around over there; for years there ain’t no telling what we took in,” Guy added.

Now, the EPD is analyzing samples they extracted from the property and the results will determine whether or not the owner, Les Coffee, will be fined for violations.

“The Peerless site strives to be a good citizen of Walker County and metro Chattanooga. I can confirm that the Georgia EPD has opened an investigation into asbestos removal at the site,” Coffee told the news station. “The area in question is a very small confined area that consists of less than 1% of the total area of the building and affects no one in the public or tenants. It is our position and strong belief that no environmental violations have occurred on the site and that in due process the investigation will be resolved in our favor.”

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