Fire at the TBA Mill

Just heard on the radio that the TBA mill has been on fire. Reports are saying roads are sealed off at Rooley Moor Road and Churchill Street.

It's extremely concerning that access to the site for the fire crews was curtailed.

Considering this is an asbestos contaminated site (the prime reason it has not been levelled and built on) what controls are in place to minimise the risk of widespread contamination of the local areas in such cases, and were these controls breached by the site owners in blocking access?

Was there enough asbestos in the factory to spread asbestos particles in the smoke?

cyfrifia wrote:Was there enough asbestos in the factory to spread asbestos particles in the smoke?

Depends if the part of the factory had substantial asbestos use in the past. The particels will be embedded in the fabric of the building over its lifetime. Bit like when a builidng is demolished all the dust and rubbish accomulated is released/

cyfrifia wrote:Was there enough asbestos in the factory to spread asbestos particles in the smoke?

Potentially!

Otherwise the site would already be levelled.

That's what they usually do with old buildings with asbestos in them, as it's too expensive to legally dismantle or demolish them, just leave them standing derelict till they are burned down. It usually works.

True. So we have an uncontrollable release of Asbestos.

But it does nothing to solve the Asbestos buried underground and dumped at many location in the area of River Spod Valley.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/77897/council-leader-taken-to-task-over-asbestos-mill-fire-safety-assurances

What total irresponsible ignorance. It's a bit ridiculous to say there is no risk of asbestos particles going up into the air when there is a fire in a big old asbestos factory, unless Mr. Lambert knows something we don't, perhaps he has been going there every weekend for the last ten years licking all the stones and rubble to get rid of every trace of asbestos?

cyfrifia wrote:http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/77897/council-leader-taken-to-task-over-asbestos-mill-fire-safety-assurances

What total irresponsible ignorance. It's a bit ridiculous to say there is no risk of asbestos particles going up into the air when there is a fire in a big old asbestos factory, unless Mr. Lambert knows something we don't, perhaps he has been going there every weekend for the last ten years licking all the stones and rubble to get rid of every trace of asbestos?

Dont expect any answers from him.

Asbestos is one of those very political issues that goes back a long way. The dangers of asbestos have been known for over a hundred years, but, due to military industrial, legal and insurance considerations, so have official denials and misinformation.

The common sense view is that a fire in an old asbestos factory will send asbestos particles into the air. The official view is that this does not happen, unless an investigation proves that it does.

With no 'official' evidence that this fire was sending asbestos particles into the air, Mr. Lambert was making a rather over-prompt 'officially' correct statement.

A human being who cared about people would not make such a statement, unless they were entirely and blissfully ignorant of the facts. You would think the leader of a council in a town which suffers the aftermath of the largest asbestos manufacturer in europe would be a bit clued up about the subject?

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=25390#.UUZLyTfc1SE