Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 22/02) - A Calgary-based property developer is doing a better job of uncovering asbestos in Yellowknife than the health department.

Recent environmental assessments conducted for Urbco have revealed asbestos in two rental buildings, Rock Ridge Apartments and Simpson House.

In the case of Rock Ridge, asbestos was detected in the decorative stucco on the ceilings of hallways and apartment units.

At Simpson House, asbestos insulation was discovered in the T-fittings and elbows of heating pipes. Asbestos is considered a hazardous material.

If asbestos fibres are inhaled they can cause lung cancer and other serious diseases. Air quality tests were carried out before, during and after treatment of the asbestos in the two city buildings said environmental consultant Wayne Bryant.

Bryant is working on contract to Urbco.

"When they are looking at purchasing a property they want a very detailed site assessment," he said. "If there is any material that may be considered hazardous down the road, they want it remediated or removed."

Bryant said the asbestos in Rock Ridge and Simpson House did not present a danger.

The pipe insulation was confined to a mechanical room not used by the public.

"It was all in good condition," said Bryant of the stucco. "It would pose a health hazard if the stuff was falling down, but that wasn't the case."

The stucco was coated with a sealant to prevent any asbestos fibres from being released. The pipe insulation was removed using a technique that prevents any fibres from escaping. An official at the health department said the department approved the remediation technique.

The official said the department learned of the asbestos from Urbco.

In the NWT, any material that contains more than one per cent asbestos by weight is considered environmentally hazardous. However, undisturbed, asbestos is usually not a hazard.

Bryant said the stucco contained two per cent asbestos and the pipe insulation was 80 per cent asbestos.

Until the 1970s, asbestos was used in a variety of building products. In addition to decorative floor coverings and pipe insulation, products that may contain asbestos include wall insulation, floor tiles and sheet flooring, millboard and paper used as insulation around wood stoves, shingles, and artificial ashes in gas fireplaces.

Last September the Laing building was evacuated when a renovation uncovered floor tiles that contained asbestos.