The seemingly endless process of restoring New Orleans to a functioning city after Hurricane Katrina can be attributed in part to the enormity of the task. It is the size and scope of the project that leads to a multitude of problems, each of which must be handled of its own accord.

In one area of the city, the abandoned hulks of asbestos contaminated buildings have halted the process of clearing the area. Ruined buildings that were constructed with asbestos products – roofing, insulation, coated pipes, etc. – are still standing while officials debate the best way to demolish them without creating clouds of asbestos dust. Asbestos exposure has proven to lead to, among other afflictions, the lethal lung cancer known as mesothelioma.

The EPA is proposing that a specially designed incinerator be constructed, which will be used to incinerate the debris while controlling and monitoring air quality. Federal and local officials have determined that the best way to dispose of three buildings in one industrial area of New Orleans is by using an incinerator known as an “air curtain destructor.” It is now understood that it doesn’t take years of exposure to asbestos in order to cause mesothelioma. Taking chances with old buildings in the New Orleans rebuild isn’t acceptable, despite the fact that the danger would be one day’s dust cloud.