The asbestos study being conducted at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport Authority located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is scheduled to be completed on January 12th. Following the study and subsequent asbestos abatement a $7 million dollar renovation on various parts of the airport will begin.

Asbestos-containing materials must first be removed from the building in order to prevent possible exposure to cancer causing asbestos fibers. Such exposure can result in any one of a number of asbestos-related diseases which include asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Because of the generally long latency period of these diseases treatment options for those that are diagnosed are often very limited by the time the discovery is made.

The area of the airport being remodeled is the Costello Terminal which is approximately forty years old. At the time the terminal was constructed asbestos was often used in a number of building supplies including insulation. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that use of the material began to become regulated upon the formation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The president of Koch Hazard, the architectural firm hired to handle the project, Chris Shiltz has stated that necessary abatement at the site should be modest and will mostly consist of mechanical piping insulation.

Airport General Manager Mike Marnach has estimated that the actual renovation project after the asbestos abatement is complete will take approximately sixteen months.