The owners (the Port Authority) had previously been REFUSED permission to have the buildings demolished on the grounds of the resulting toxic dust that would cover NY, so surely plenty of people in authority in NY were aware of this situation? why didn't they evacuate the whole area for a few weeks?

there were 2,000 tons of asbestos in the WTC used as fire-retardant up to at least the 40th floors. asbestos was banned in 1971 & the owners were required to remove it.
just 7 days after 9/11, the EPA stated the air around ground zero was safe to breathe & yet workers were claiming they weren't feeling well whilst working there 6 weeks after 9/11.

360+ have died so far, 600 already have cancer now & a database exists of 71,000 names of those exposed.

http://www.mesotheliomasos.com/newsWTCcoroners.php
http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/interference/ground-zero-air-pollution.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/05/08/2008-05-08_360_post911_workers_have_died_including_.html
Dri-fit - read it again, i said SIX WEEKS AFTER 9/11
Gekokujo - thanks for understanding the point! the EPA basically lied to people & rescue workers were not given the proper suits & breathing apparatus & now they're all dying - that's murder.
Freedom - you're quite right, the 'little' people don't count in their eyes

Someone said that someone they know worked for an asbestos removal team. That it was really dangerous work. Finally law makers passed legislation that people had to stop tearing them down because it was a greater health risk to the workers and people living in the immediate area to tear the building down , due to it is old, it breaks, and not in one piece, than it is to just leave them standing. All it takes is the smallest piece of asbestos in your lungs for you to develop serious lung and other illnesses.
What do you think, could they evacuate the buildings? I see people living in brand new buildings all the time that says "This building is known to the state of California to cause cancer" So the problems are that they are building more buildings with toxins, and/ or leaving dangerous buildings just standing, giving off fumes and maybe not evacuating them. Something seems wrong? What do you think?
Not just apartment buildings but, these signs are also in grocery stores, auto repair shops, the parking structures under malls and hospitals.

From what I have heard, once you are exposed to asbestos dust, there is NO getting it out of your lungs. However, what are the best ways to TRY and get at least some of it out of your lungs, over a long period of time? Should one develop cancer, I know that intake of antioxidant-rich food can help rid the body of free radicals, to try and help out the situation, but just wondering about other ways to "cleanse" the lungs (if there is such a way).

Recently my father and I were ripping out insulation from our old 1920's home, and we think there's a darn good chance, the insulation was made from zonolite/vermiculite (dangerous dangerous stuff, as you may have heard about tonight, on CBC radio, if you live in Canada). Suggestions?

This is gonna sound very dumb but about a year ago i bought an old house and did some remodeling . i had to install a new window and cut some siding away well turns out it was asbestos . i know i had to breathe some in. And since then i have been diagnosed with uveitus an eye inflamation disease. i have been tested for everything associated with uveitus which includes a chest x ray. now with being exposed that one time could that cause health issues or am i over reacting the dust was contained to the back of the house but im also concerned some got inside and my 3 year could also be affected . this is a nightmare and anyone that knows any facts would be greatly appreciated. I read all over long term exposure is what causes cancer buy now a days it seems like just trying to take care of your family and fix up your house you got someone telling you it can kill you. I worry alot and this is driving me nuts

I am about to rehab a house, that just happens to have a section with what is almost certainly an asbestos floor. I want to add a bathroom (which means cutting holes, obviously), add a closet (which involves pounding in nails, of course).

What I do NOT want is cancer, in myself or my workers.

I'll add on a new hard floor overtop the asbestos section, so that won't be a problem for my tenants. It's just a matter of what'll go on during the construction phase.

What do I need to do to make this reasonable?

Thanks.
I will say what I can and cannot afford.

Between Kindergarten and 2nd grade (I'm in my 1st yr of college now) I was in a school that had asbestos ceiling panels/insulation as well as those cancer-causing PCB fluorescent lights. Honestly, what are my odds of contracting something nasty like Mesothelioma? Granted, I know the asbestos was undisturbed, but still, what are the odds? And please tell me how certain you are of them.
Thank you.
BTW the school district was sued for its endangerment of youth back in the mid 90's, and cleaned up its act since.

Looking to see if Hoyt Elementary on Stark Sreet in Wilkes Barre, PA was torn down due to asbestos contamination. Looking for as much information as possible for several serious cancer diagnosisis. Thanks a Million!

I've heard that most homes built between the years 1930 and 1970 were built with products that contain asbestos. I'm looking to purchase a cheap manufactured home, or pretty much anything I can find that is small and low-priced to fix up a little and live in during my college years. If I happened to find one of these older homes, would staying in it for a year or two put my significant other and I at risk for cancer? Or is it only dangerous if you inhale the asbestos fibers? I'm confused as to whether or not if it's a danger for us to be living in a place where movement(walking around, playing music) can shake loose pieces of asbestos fiber from the cieling and/or walls...or is that just silly? Please enlighten me, someone. It would be greatly appreciated.

The ceiling is not tiled or anything, just flat like the walls. There is a leak in the ceiling from the roof. I went to get a pot to put it under the leakage and a drip of water splashed into my eye. So now I am worried. Could there be any asbestos in the ceiling? Do all houses have asbestos? I am not sure when this house was built because I am renting.
And could I now have cancer because of that?
I'm so scared!

Serious answers please! So please only answer if you know!

Thanks a lot!

I dry-scraped about 200 vinyl-asbestos tiles without protection.

I'm really scared right now because of this. The worst part is that I won't know till 10-40 years from now if I will get cancer or anything.

I know now that I've been exposed to asbestos, I cannot get rid of it and my risk of getting disease or cancer has increased. I'm reaaaallllyyyy scared right now.

I really hope it's not as bad as I think