At the VA hospital in Murfreesboro, TN, hospital officials are dealing with fallout over unsanitary equipment that was used to perform thousands of colonoscopies.

And now, another shocking issue has come to the attention of public. VA hospital employees claim the hospital knowingly endangered their health by leaving asbestos pipe insulation in place throughout the basement of the hospital.

Dwight Statum has been employed at the VA for 30 years as a mechanic working on air conditioners. Now, Statum claims he has pictures of what he calls the VA’s dirty secret. The pictures show white asbestos covering pipes in the VA basement.

Statum is concerned that he and other VA employees will now develop a deadly, asbestos-related disease such as pleural mesothelioma.

“There’s a good possibility that I will suffer some long term effects from being exposed to asbestos,” Statum said.

Statum says when he had to repair a pipe covered with asbestos, the VA did not give him proper protective equipment or safety instructions.

“They knew full well what they were doing, but they didn’t care. It was just go ahead and get the job done. We’ll deal with the repercussions later,” Statum said.

Statum submitted pictures of the asbestos problem to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA investigators cited the VA hospital for six asbestos violations.

OSHA says the VA failed to “determine employee exposure to asbestos” and “failed to notify employees of the location and quantity of asbestos.”

The VA is currently conducting air quality tests. Hospital officials have stated that so far, all air tests have been negative for asbestos.

Asbestos exposure has long been a cause of concern for veterans, specifically those who served on Navy ships during World War II. Countless vets have developed an asbestos-related illness later in their lives, and many have left their families with exorbitant debt following their death. Veteran asbestos exposure continues to be a problem, as men and women currently serving in Iraq face the risk of exposure.

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