By Glenn S. Draper on January 25, 2010

Air-quality testing in the visiting room of an Oregon prison located in Salem found no asbestos contamination. The results cleared the way for resumption of inmate visitations.

On the Wednesday before the Martin Luther King Day holiday, all visitation at the prison was suspended when a prison employee discovered asbestos containing ceiling-insulation that had fallen to the floor of a mechanical room located next to the visiting room. Prison officials were concerned that asbestos fibers could be blown into the visitation area because the prison’s ventilation system, which supplies heat to the visiting room, is located in the mechanical room where the asbestos was found. Asbestos testing results from one of the two prison offices also serviced by the ventilation system showed slightly elevated levels of asbestos. Further testing will be done there, while asbestos abatement work will begin in the mechanical room where the presence of asbestos was confirmed. In the meantime, the ventilation system has been shut down. As a result, visitors to the prison will receive a chilly reception given the lack of heat.

Many state buildings in Oregon built prior to the 1980s are contaminated with asbestos. After conducting surveys, Oregon has identified which buildings contain the hazardous substance. The asbestos industry has known for decades that asbestos is dangerous. Still, manufacturers used the fiber in more than 3,000 products, including pipe insulation, kitchen and bathroom flooring and ceiling tiles. Many manufacturers refused to remove the substance from their products until the government required it.

Old asbestos products installed in a structure are particularly dangerous when they are disturbed. Asbestos fibers within the products can become airborne during demolition, or because of decay or water damage. Once released into the air, the fibers may be inhaled and cause long-term health problems, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.

For more information, go to http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100115/NEWS/1150343/1001.