PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Ryane Smith and her household are a part of a rising development: they stay in an RV full-time. Proper now, they name Solar Retreats Dunedin, a cell house and RV park off Alternate 19, their short-term house.
“We adore it,” Smith mentioned. “The group is nice.”
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Residing simply minutes from world-class seashores, they usually don’t have anything however constructive issues to say a couple of blissful life-style, however proper now, Smith has an enormous grievance and fear.
“It’s actually freaking me out and my household’s life out,” mentioned the mother of two boys, ages three and 7.
Greater than two dozen cell houses all through the park that have been considerably broken by Hurricane Helene’s storm surge are within the means of being demolished.
Not too long ago, Smith realized that a few of these houses include asbestos, a mineral generally present in older constructing supplies. In accordance with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, asbestos could cause critical and generally deadly illnesses.
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“We delight ourselves on household and freedom and with the ability to stay the life that we stay, and if something occurred to them or my household, it could be completely devastating,” Smith mentioned.
Smith reached out to ABC Motion Information as a result of demolition particles containing asbestos is being positioned in a dumpster simply ft from her house within the portion of the resort referred to as Sandpiper.
“Perhaps like 20 or 30 ft,” she mentioned. “It’s only one paved web site over.”
The dumpster’s exterior has an aged, rusty look, with a number of holes seen. An indication on the dumpster warns of the asbestos, which can trigger most cancers or lung harm. Smith mentioned it’s been there for weeks, however the signal wasn’t absolutely seen till lately.
Although the dumpster is roofed by a big plastic sheet sealed to the rim with duct tape, Smith mentioned it was not absolutely sealed till lately, and the virtually fixed sea breeze within the space generally causes the plastic sheet to elevate from the dumpster’s high.
“That’s what’s freaking me out by way of all of this,” she mentioned.
In accordance with a spokesperson with Pinellas County, the county’s Air High quality Division is monitoring the continuing asbestos abatement and demolition of 27 cell houses in Solar Retreats Dunedin.
“The challenge has largely been going easily and in compliance with the Nationwide Emission Requirements for Hazardous Air Pollution and County Code,” the county wrote in a press release to ABC Motion Information. “Our inspectors adopted up with the asbestos contractor after a usually scheduled March 28 inspection relating to the looks of the asbestos waste storage container on web site, and once more on April 15 to handle considerations from a resident.”
In a brief cellphone name on Wednesday, a consultant from Plant Metropolis-based JES Abatement Inc. confirmed that it owns the dumpster.
The consultant, who angrily ended the cellphone earlier than answering additional questions or offering his full title, mentioned the dumpster is in compliance. Nonetheless, he mentioned will probably be moved after latest complaints.
A regional vp for Solar Retreats, who was on-site Wednesday, clarified that the dumpster will likely be moved to a distinct spot of the resort early Thursday morning and faraway from the property completely by subsequent week.
Smith, nonetheless, isn’t but satisfied as a result of she mentioned she was beforehand informed by a Pinellas County consultant that the dumpster could be moved on Wednesday.
Although she worries she may face repercussions, Smith mentioned she’s voicing her considerations to make sure the protection of her household and others shut by.
“I’m utilizing my voice to attempt to make a distinction,” she mentioned.
“To maintain hitting stone partitions attempting to resolve the matter—that’s not client pleasant”
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