Asbestos Found at Benjamin Franklin Elementary (at Pilgrim Baptist Church)

A group of Benjamin Franklin Elementary students have been relocated because of an asbestos exposure scare, and are waiting for Tuesday's air quality test results. On Monday, April 25, environmental officials were at the annex to conduct additional testing. According to NBC Philadelphia:

“The Benjamin Franklin Elementary School Annex, located within the Pilgrim Baptist Church in the Crescentville section of Philadelphia, was tested for asbestos on Friday, April 22 by the Office of Environmental Management & Services and the Philadelphia Teacher’s Union’s Health and Welfare Fund.

“The tests determined that the airborne samples were over the Philadelphia Asbestos Control Regulations re-occupancy criteria. As a result, the students and teachers were moved to the school’s main building two blocks away.”

Pilgrim Baptist is an old congregation, started in Kensington in 1864. Builders began construction on the new church at Comly and Rising Sun in 1938. The Philadelphia School District leased the space at Pilgrim Baptist Church in 2003. 

A school district press release stated that routine asbestos inspections have been conducted every six months according to Asbestos Hazard Response Act (AHERA) regulations: “Until this most recent round of testing, there have been no known instances of elevated levels of airborne asbestos at the facility.”

The building remains closed to all students and teachers until the test results are known and 
further actions can be determined. However, the greatest risk of asbestos exposure is not to the children or teachers. The amount of airborne asbestos found at the Benjamin Franklin Pilgrim Baptist annex, while unacceptable, is not the amount which usually result in asbestos diseases such as asbestosis or other chronic pulmonary obstructive diseases (COPDs).

Construction workers who built Pilgrim Baptist, and maintenance workers throughout the years who fixed pipes and boilers, fixed the roof, updated plumbing, heating and cooling systems, are much more likely candidates for an asbestos disease like asbestosis or an asbestos cancer such as mesothelioma.

Swell Bubblegum Factory demolished this week; asbestos removed first

Bad news for candy fans came with some good news for the wrecking crew that took down Havertown's Swell Bubblegum Factory this Wednesday: according to The Daily Times, 

 Work crews dismantled interior fixtures and performed asbestos abatement over the past few months in preparation for the external demolition phase, expected to require six to eight weeks.

The crew were making way for a new YMCA building.  The Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corporation produced Swell bubble gum, El Bubble gum cigars, Cry Baby extra sour gum, Gold Rocks Nugget Bubble Gum and Joe Blo Giant bubble gum before it closed in 2003.

The factory became idle after Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corp. sold the business to Concord Confections. The Daily Times says

YMCA officials plan to construct a 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on the factory footprint, complete with two-story atrium lobby, wellness center, three swimming pools, oversized gym, child/family center, group exercise studios and parking area.

Philadelphia YMCA President and CEO John Flynn said the Y anticipates serving more than 20,000 area residents and says it will provide 150 new permanent jobs. The grand opening is slated for spring 2013.

Flynn said the Y has obtained all permits required for razing the factory as well as comfort letters from all environmental agencies. The Y “continues to pursue finalized permits and plans for the building and construction,” Flynn said.

Since the factory's been idle for over seven years, it's good to hear that Havertown and the surrounding area will have 150 new jobs, a new YMCA, and best of all, no asbestos exposure for the demolition crew.

Welcome to Philadelphia Mesothelioma News

Welcome to Philadelphia Mesothelioma News. If you are wondering why I made this blog, it is because as a city that used to (and still does) make things, Philadelphia shares the same problems that other industrial cities and towns have: a lot of the factories and plants have closed or moved, pollution problems near old work sites, and of course, asbestos exposure--the cause of mesothelioma.

There are jobs that exposed people to asbestos that exist in every town: for example, construction, especially demolition and dry-wall installation. Carpentry, roofing, flooring, plumbing, electricians, car mechanics, fire fighters, staff and inmates in prisons and jails: the list of jobs where you could have been exposed to asbestos goes on and on. If you had a job that involved dealing with pipes, wires, engines, building materials, etc., in the years before the government started regulating asbestos exposure, it is likely you had some exposure to asbestos.

If you live in Philly or are in the area (Bucks County, New Jersey, etc.), there are a lot of good mesothelioma doctors and cancer clinics nearby, like Fox Chase, Thomas Jefferson, and UPenn, just to name a few. You're also not too far from hospitals like NewYork-Presbyterian, Sloan Kettering, Mount Sinai, and NYU.

Most of the news in this blog will be about asbestos in Philadelphia now: where they are finding it, and where it has been. A mix of history and news. There will also be posts for people who have had mesothelioma, and people who work with it (doctors, lawyers, politicians who are against asbestos exposure).

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment, or email me at roberts.marcus316@gmail.com.

P.S. Yes, that photo was taken at Connie Mack stadium, and no, I didn't take it. It's from 1960. I'm not saying there was asbestos at Connie Mack, I just thought it was a good photo. I'll be including lots of old photos and maps, too, so if you have any you want to share, you know how to reach me.