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Asbestos discovery stalls work on prison
Virginia officials studying health threat
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Published: June 5, 2008
Builders of the $100 million state prison in Grayson County, Va., have struck a vein of asbestos, stalling the project until a plan is developed to remove or contain the naturally occurring minerals.
The site off U.S. 58 east of Independence was selected in May 2007 after a public fight about a proposal to build the prison along the New River. After intensive lobbying, led by Winston-Salem residents Phil and Charlotte Hanes, Virginia prison officials decided against putting the prison on a bluff overlooking the river, a move that many landowners opposed.
"This should not change the overall plan," said William Ring, the county administrator. "They have to develop a plan to deal with what they have found. The site is still the selected site."
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos occurs naturally in certain types of rock formations. The fibrous minerals can be in the form of long, thin, separable fibers.
If disturbed, asbestos can be broken down to microscopic fibers and become suspended in the air. If it doesn't become airborne, it is not a health threat.
Grading began on the site in the late fall, Ring said. Last month, a contractor hired by the state to do the grading noticed a brown material, softer than rock.
Work on the site stopped May 9. State officials tested the material and confirmed that it was asbestos, said Larry Traylor, the director of communications for the Virginia Department of Corrections.
"Additional tests to determine if asbestos particles had been present in the air were performed, and those results indicated no asbestos particles present," Traylor said.
Further testing and evaluation will be done on the site over the coming weeks, he said. Also, state officials will develop a plan for managing the asbestos and resuming construction.
Balfour Beatty, the contractor in charge of the project, will start work with a limited crew next week to remove or contain the asbestos vein.
Beatty is also posting signs on the site and has been charged with performing awareness training for people working on the site.
The delay shouldn't affect plans to open the prison in 2010, Ring said. Because of the mild winter, the contractor hired to do the grading was ahead of schedule.
But the work to remove or contain the asbestos will add to the cost of the project, and that amount has yet to be determined.
The decision last May to build the medium-security prison on the site off of U.S. 58 put an end to more than five months of debate. Residents who wanted to protect the river were at odds with those who wanted the prison at either site for its economic benefit.
In November 2006, Virginia officials announced that the site on the New River near the Cox Chapel community was being considered.
In February 2007, the site off U.S. 58 east of Independence was brought forward.
And in April 2007, a consultant for the corrections department recommended that the state reject the site on the New River in favor of the U.S. 58 site because it is closer to water and sewer services and is more cost-effective.
The Cox Chapel Grange hired Horn and Stronach to fight the New River site. Phil Hanes, a Winston-Salem philanthropist, is a member of the group. He owns land on the New River and has been a longtime advocate for the environment.
The grange and Hanes wanted to protect the views. They also questioned the effect that a 1,500-inmate prison would have had on the river and surrounding farms.
But other residents said that they desperately wanted the prison to come to Grayson County, Va., no matter the location.
The prison would bring 375 jobs and an estimated payroll of $6 million. It would be one of the biggest users of a new regional water system.
■ Sherry Youngquist can be reached in Mount Airy at 336-789-9338 or at syoungquist@wsjournal.com.
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