Asbestos will be removed from the former Fox River Paper Mill in Urbana, Ohio. Funding for the cleanup will be provided by the Clean Ohio Revitalization fund, reports the Springfield News.
The state board released the $3 million in cleanup funds to remove asbestos and demolish many of the existing buildings. Problems related to soil and groundwater will also be repaired.
Asbestos removal throughout Urbana, Ohio will make many buildings, including the former Fox River Paper Mill, safer. Asbestos is a highly hazardous material, and when disturbed, can pose a serious health risk to those exposed.
Once disturbed, the material is made airborne, and is easily inhaled. Extended exposure to the material has been known to cause many diseases, including mesothelioma and asbestosis. Mesothelioma is the most aggressive asbestos-related disease, known to affect 3,000 Americans each year.
Symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, lie dormant for 10 to 50 years. Because of this, even the best mesothelioma doctors struggle to diagnose patients in the early stages of their disease. At mesothelioma clinics nationwide, oncologists generally treat their patients with a combination of chemo, radiation, and surgery.
Weidmann Electrical Technology, Inc. plans to purchase the vacant paper mill. The company, as well as the city of Urbana, has committed to pay an additional $1.1 million in matching funds towards cleanup at the site.