Builders of the $100 million state prison in Grayson County, Va. have struck a vein of asbestos on the site, stalling the project until a plan is developed to remove or contain the naturally occurring fibrous minerals.
The site off U.S. 58 east of Independence was selected last May after a public fight over a proposal to construct it along the New River. After intensive lobbying, led by Winston-Salem residents Phil and Charlotte Hanes, Virginia prison officials chose not to put the prison on a bluff overlooking the river as many landowners had feared.
"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."
Grading began on the site in the late fall, he said. Last month, a contractor hired by the state to do the grading noticed what looked like asbestos. The material that was found was softer than rock. And it was brownish in color.
Work on the site stopped May 9. State officials tested the material and confirmed 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," he said.
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, it can be broken down to microscopic fibers and suspended in the air. If it never becomes airborne, it poses no health threat.
Further testing and evaluation will be done on the site over the coming weeks, Traylor said. Also state officials will develop a plan for managing the asbestos and getting construction underway.
Balfour Beatty, the contractor in charge of the project, will be starting work with a limited crew next week to remediate the asbestos vein. He is also posting signs on the site and has been charged with performing awareness training for all the jobsite staff.
The construction of the building has not begun.
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 figure has yet to be determined.
The decision last May to locate 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 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.
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