The old Masonic Temple, located at 802 Rose Street in La Crosse, Wisconsin, will soon fall. During the first day of pre-demolition, four 30-yard-long bins we’re filled with wet trash. The trash was kept wet in order to keep any asbestos material from becoming airborne.
The 133-year-old building is in shambles, and was left abandoned. Eventually, the temple caved in on itself.
Debris will be cleared from the building over the next two weeks. Asbestos will be removed from the building, starting Monday.
The asbestos must first be removed, before any real razing can begin. Asbestos is a highly toxic material, once exploited for its fire retardant properties. The material can be found in roofing, drywall, piping and many other construction materials. When disturbed, the hazardous particles can become airborne–and pose a serious health risk to those exposed.
Such exposure has been known to cause several diseases, including malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the rarest and most aggressive asbestos-related disease, known to form from the mesothelium. The lung, heart and abdominal cavities are most often affected by the disease.
Symptoms of the asbestos cancer, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, lie dormant for 10 to 50 years. Due to the disease’s extended latency period, patients are often diagnosed in the later stages of their disease.
Crews will begin razing the building in about three weeks, reports La Crosse Tribune. The East end of the temple will be reduced to an empty lot.