Inspectors from the New Jersey state health department as well as from two other state departments are looking into whether asbestos found during renovations at city offices on Ellison Street in Paterson was handled correctly or whether the employees doing the work may have been exposed to the carcinogen.

An article in the Paterson Press reports that city public works employees had been renovating the building since the early fall, but all work was halted when asbestos floor tiles were located in December. Those same employees removed the tiles and they were sent to a designated city landfill. Reports say that city employees from the recreation division and neighborhood assistance office were relocated while the tiles were removed.

Paterson Public Works Director Christopher Coke reports that health department workers arrived last week to check the area and representatives of the New Jersey labor and community affairs departments are also examining the situation. In the meantime, city activist David Gilmore says Coke put the public works employees at risk during the asbestos abatement. Specifically, Gilmore notes that the city did not request the proper permits for removal nor did they provide the needed equipment to prevent inhalation of asbestos fibers, which can cause mesothelioma cancer in some individuals.

Coke says that’s not the case. He maintains that workers were given gloves, masks, and protective suits while working with the toxic materials. However, the city now has plans to hire a licensed company to finish the job “because of the complications caused by the asbestos,” says Coke. The renovation job remains on hold until a company is contracted, and with the space where the tiles were found sealed off, employees have been allowed to return to the Ellison Street offices while investigations continue into the matter.

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