Grace Community Church sued by ex-employees, fined for asbestos exposure incident

...that I've learned is that if you leave asbestos alone, it won't hurt you. From the article, it's not clear whether any flooring/etc. was being removed, which is the place where it would become a powder that could go into someone's lungs. The classic way of getting mesothelioma (the lung cancer caused by asbestos) and asbestiosis is the removal of brake pad dust containing asbestos, or the application/removal of asbestos insulation.

That noted, flooring installed before 1980 very often has the stuff in it, so GCC really ought to have done a test if they suspected such flooring predated 1980. It's a drop in the bucket for their project costs. I suspect they didn't because they were going to remove the flooring and would have remediation costs.

One of my childhood homes, built in the mid 1970s, had exterior siding/shingles made of asbestos. After all, it was the miracle material of the time, reasonably durable and fireproof. However, after years it got brittle, and would crack with anything hitting it (like branches during a storm, as that property was pretty wooded). Also, the extras we had stored in the garage eventually dried out as well and years later, you could see dust from them collecting. I could easily imagine flooring that gets walked on really being an issue after years, unless it’s really sealed up tight.

Long after I was grown and gone from the home, my parents had to have all the siding removed and the extras taken away and the garage cleaned, and it was considered a minor hazardous materials operation. I don’t know all the circumstances at GCC, of course, but I’m sure if GCC had asbestos installed in a lot of places, it would have been a big deal. Even if just a little of it was around, they should have just bit the bullet and dealt with it. Expensive, yes, but for a church, a pretty big public relations nightmare if anyone suspects a coverup, even if it isn’t one.

A lot of linoleum installed in the 70s has asbestos in it. Our church was going to replace it, but we were advised to just cover it with plywood, then refloor on top, which we did. I suppose it will be a mess if we ever have to renovate.

Don, you might be surprised--the new flooring--or perhaps flooring you use to replace the new flooring once you've retired--might last the lifetime of the building. If it doesn't, asbestos cleanup does require PPE (personal protective equipment), but it's a common enough thing to do that you're not going to be paying military contracting prices for getting it done. A friend of mine put himself through college by removing asbestos.

As long as it isn’t disturbed, there is no need to replace it. It has plywood now attached to both sides. If we were to tear the building down and rebuild, the simplest thing would be to saw put the floor in pieces and dispose of it. Not as big a project as it might sound. But also no need to do it anytime soon.