At Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in Nacogdoches, Texas, the demolition of the student apartments in the Garner building has begun. Full demolition must wait until asbestos abatement has been completed, however, meaning that the process of demolition will be ongoing for several weeks.

"The demolition of Garner is going to take approximately six weeks to complete. Now, we’ve been doing a lot of preliminary work as far as asbestos abatement and the demolishers have been working inside, but the actual bringing down of the building from the outside is going to take five to six weeks." said Lee Brittain SFA’s Physical Plant Director.

Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that often affects the lungs, as well as other abdominal tissues. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year, and while there are palliative treatment methods available, including chemo, there is no known cure.

The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and many patients are expected to live for only a couple of years with the disease. Asbestos exposure can also cause other health issues. These include various forms of lung cancer, pleural plaques, and asbestosis.

The Garner apartments date back to 1969. By this August, a parking garage will have taken its place. A new freshman dorm is also going to be erected at the site, and that should be completed by 2011.

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