Asbestos forces Rockland County workers to relocate

• Asbestos-wrapped heating pipe leaks onto ceiling tile, then floor at county office building
• Workers in county Personnel Department relocate away from leak
• Sain building dates to 1960; county bought it in 1974
• County will hire crew to remediate the asbestos, repair leaking pipe

NEW CITY – Rockland County employees who work in an office where asbestos has been disturbed have been relocated until a cleanup can be done, a county spokesman said Thursday.

About five workers and eight desks have been moved away from where an asbestos-wrapped water heating pipe was found to be leaking, said Scott Salotto, a spokesman for the county executive's office.

The pipe leaked onto a drop-ceiling tile and then onto the floor, he said, noting none of the material was found to be friable, or frayed, which can pose health risks.

The leak occurred on the fourth floor of the Sain County Office Building in offices housing the Personnel Department. The county bought the building at 18 New Hempstead Road in 1974 for $1.4 million to help solve office space problems, according to The Journal News archives. It was built between 1960 and 1962, Salotto said.

Maintenance in the building has been a challenge over the years and has involved ventilation, electrical and disabled-accessibility issues. In 1994, the county tested air and water samples from a cooling tower for the bacteria that causes Legionnaire's disease after a worker fell ill; no link to the building was found.

Asbestos has been an issue before.

Asbestos, composed of a group of minerals, used to be added to many products because it is strong, fire-resistant and relatively inexpensive. Until the 1960s, it was commonly used as insulation in homes, schools and businesses.

Asbestos is dangerous only when it becomes friable. That releases microscopic fibers into the air, which then can be inhaled. The fibers can scar the lungs, leading to asbestosis, a condition marked by difficulty breathing and heart failure. Exposure also may increase risk for other illnesses, including several types of cancer.

Many industrial workers, including people who worked in shipyards and power plants, were exposed before the risks were fully recognized.

Salotto said a remediation crew will be hired to conduct a cleanup "in the near future." The ceiling tile will be replaced and the pipe repaired, he said.

Staff writer Jane Lerner contributed to this report.

Twitter: @LauraLoHud