Asbestos Test Results Questioned in Florida

In West Palm Beach, Florida, the storm-damaged 1515 Tower is at the center of a series of controversial asbestos tests. The developer who planned to raze the towers was going to have to spend $1 million cleaning up asbestos at the site, but then was able to change the minds of state regulatory officials. This was due to various tests done on the building's stucco exterior.

Testing was conducted between March 30 and July 29. Over 5 separate tests were conducted; some by the developer, and others by the health department. Of the tests that used a method called polarized light microscopy point count, the results ranged from less than .5 percent asbestos to 2.75 percent asbestos.

Because regulations allow for materials that are less than 1 percent asbestos to be destroyed without abatement, a final round of testing was done. A subcontractor for the developer took samples from 20 random, computer-selected spots. The testing was supervised the Palm Beach County Health Department. The results of the final round of testing found that no one sample contained over 1 percent asbestos.

But some locals are concerned over the wide variance in the early tests, and are concerned about the presence of asbestos at the site. Exposure to asbestos is linked to cancers like mesothelioma.