Mesothelioma Articles

Cowtown Inn demolition plan raises EPA's suspicion

Posted: May 16, 2004

Source: By Anna M. Tinsley, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH -- In an effort to keep demolition of the dilapidated Cowtown Inn on schedule, city officials are working to resolve safety concerns raised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA has questioned whether nearby residents would be protected under the city's plans to use an experimental "wet" method for demolishing the building without first removing asbestos.

The city's proposal, dubbed the "Fort Worth Method," could change the way aging buildings with asbestos are demolished across the nation, the EPA's Office of Inspector General noted in a December report on the proposal.

However, "the current design and methodology ... is not adequate to demonstrate protection of human health and the environment," the report stated.

"The agency and the city of Fort Worth could be exposed to liability issues from the public if it is later found that asbestos was released into the environment," the report states.

City officials say they are working to resolve the safety concerns and continue with plans to demolish the building this summer.

Brian Boerner, director of the city's environmental management department, met with EPA officials in Washington this week to discuss the concerns.

"It's still a positive project that's moving forward," Boerner said. "There's a lot of people at the EPA, and there's a lot of moving parts. Our plan is still to do this work in July."

The city plans to demolish the boarded-up inn at 6855 East Lancaster Ave. -- vacant for 15 years -- during the summer, when students would not be attending a nearby elementary school.

Residents have long pushed for demolition, saying the abandoned motel is an eyesore and a safety risk. Environmentalists and residents, however, have questioned whether the wet-removal method offers adequate protections.

"What if someone gets lung disease 20 to 30 years from now? Is the city of Fort Worth going to pay for their medical expenses?" asked Neil Carman, clean air program director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. "We want the thing cleaned up as soon as possible, but in the safest possible way."

Students and parents at a nearby school have urged the city to remove the building, which they say has been a haven for transients and criminal activity.

"I want the Cowtown Inn to come down," Kathy Burt, administrator of the nearby Charis Christian Academy, said in a recent statement.

"But I never thought of this: Do I want it down at the cost of a student of mine hitting his 30s and having lung cancer or a neighbor dying from mesothelioma for their 50th birthday?"

Asbestos, a fibrous mineral once frequently used in insulation and fireproofing material, can cause cancer and other respiratory illnesses if its fibers are inhaled.

Fort Worth has proposed the "wet demolition" process for the Cowtown Inn to avoid expenses typically involved with asbestos removal. The method calls for spraying a mist of water on the building during demolition to keep asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.

Boerner said the method is just as safe for residents as current asbestos removal methods.

"The information we've received from tests shows this practice will maintain the same level of protection of safety to the community as current methods do," Boerner said.

City crews tested the wet demolition process several years ago while tearing down an asbestos-insulated house at 2615 Ennis St.

Air samples were sent to the EPA for review along with the city's proposal to use the experimental method. The city has indicated it would conduct special monitoring of the Cowtown Inn demolition to detect any escaping asbestos.

The December report from the EPA, however, says the Fort Worth Method isn't ready to use and notes that information submitted does not show it will keep residents safe.

"Significant modifications to the design and methodology will be necessary for the EPA to ensure that the data generated and used to evaluate this project will be valid," the report states.

The report also states that Fort Worth's proposal does not meet the agency's criteria "of superior environmental performance."

EPA officials declined to comment Friday on the report.

Boerner, however, said months of discussions, revisions and additional reports have cleared up many of the concerns raised.

"From the city's standpoint, we have answered the questions as best we can," Boerner said. "A bunch of people feel this is the right thing to do and we should move forward. Others have concerns."

The city foreclosed on the Cowtown Inn in 2001 for unpaid taxes and has searched for a way since then to bring it down.

The estimated cost for demolition under traditional methods would be about $1.2 million. Boerner said because of the special monitoring that would be required for the wet demolition, the cost would be about the same.

If the EPA approves the method, however, the city could save up to 70 percent of the costs of future demolitions.

The wet demolition method is similar to that used on buildings that are on the verge of collapsing and unsuitable for traditional asbestos removal, said Kathryn Hansen, a regulatory and environmental coordinator for the city.

"This won't move forward until the EPA is convinced it's safe," said Hansen, project manager for the demolition. "The method we're using isn't new. It's just a new method of an old application, same as if the building was in danger of imminent collapse."

Cowtown Inn meetings

The city of Fort Worth has scheduled two open houses regarding the proposed demolition of the Cowtown Inn: 7 p.m. June 3 and June 24 at the Handley-Meadowbrook Community Center, 6201 Beaty St.

Representatives from the city and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are expected to attend the open houses.

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