Orange County health officials said the main concern for asbestos exposure from the now-burnt blimp hangar was from debris chunks containing the hazardous material, and that asbestos in the air played a “limited role.”
County Health Officer Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, in a Dec. 13 letter to the Tustin City Council, said asbestos fibers emitted into the air played a limited role, according to tests performed by several health agencies and contractors.
After the fire broke out, testing confirmed debris from the hangar had asbestos. Mobile monitoring tests found that on Nov. 8 there were elevated levels of lead and arsenic inside the smoke plume’s area. Chinsio-Kwong said additional testing showed the heavy metals have returned to normal background levels.
“The most concerning health hazard throughout the Fire Hangar Incident that remains is Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) debris at the site and direct contact with this debris,” Chinsio-Kwong wrote.
Chinsio-Kwong provided a list of recommendations to minimize health risks and reassure the community. She called for the expedited removal of asbestos debris from the hangar site, additional public awareness of clean-up efforts and reopening schools once certain conditions are met.
The letter came following a request from Orange County Supervisors Don Wagner and Vicente Sarmiento and after city leaders called for additional health guidance. Mayor Austin Lumbard said the city needed that information for its residents.
Residents are asked to continue reporting any debris from the fire they find. The city has reopened all of its parks and the last two Tustin Unified schools, both close to the hangar, are reopening next week.
Chinsio-Kwong said schools can reopen once they receive clearance from certified asbestos consultants and asbestos material is removed from the concrete pillars on the hangar site.
The remaining parts of the northern blimp hangar, which caught on fire and burned in early November,…
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