Historic Library to Shut Down Temporarily for Asbestos Removal

The 118-year-old Prendergast Library in Jamestown, New York may shut down for up to three months due to an asbestos removal and renovation project. Asbestos, linked to mesotheliomae and lung cancer, must be removed by law prior to renovation projects, in order to keep the deadly fibers from becoming airborne. Once inhaled, the tiny fibers are impossible to remove from the body.

Asbestos is present in various parts of the library. The ballasts that support the light fixtures need to be replaced, as they are no longer in production. Installing the fixtures means that asbestos will need to be removed. The asbestos is also present in the floor tiles lying beneath the carpets. After the asbestos present in the ceiling and floor has been dealt with, the renovations can begin.

"We are going to install new electric wiring and cables in the floor," said Catherine Way, the library’s director. "This will make the computers much more accessible. Right now, we are limited to where we can put things."

In addition to the electrical upgrades, new carpet will be installed, as well as new seating and tables. All told, the project will cost about $800,000. Stohl Environment will be overseeing the project. The funding for the project came from various grants and other funds secured by state officials. Ms. Way knows the timing could not have been more perfect. "We got commitments for this right before the economy tanked," said Ms. Way. "The money has to be spent this way. I’m not sure we could raise the money now."

Source

New York clinical trial beginning for mesothelioma patients

A new clinical trial is underway for victims of mesothelioma. The Mesothelioma Center of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center is actively recruiting patients for a clinical research study of a targeted radiation and chemotherapy protocol for pleural mesothelioma. According to Dr. Robert Taub, the study’s principal investigator, the Mesothelioma Center is the only hospital in the country offering the experimental therapy to mesothelioma sufferers. At present, the standard protocol for treatment of pleural mesothelioma requires surgery to remove the lung. Dr. Taub and his team will investigate whether the new protocol can benefit patients while at the same time avoiding surgery and reducing the toxic side affects associated with systemic chemotherapy. Clinical trial patients will receive chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin by surgically implanted catheters. Some patients will also receive cisplatin and pemetrexed intravenously. In addition, all study participants will receive targeted radiotherapy using the P-32 radioisotope.

Source