FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 13, 2006
DHEC’s Beaufort County Public Health Department temporarily closed
BEAUFORT – The Beaufort County Public Health Department will be closed temporarily for the removal of asbestos found inside a door of the building at 601 Wilmington Street, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.
“While working on the door over the weekend, a maintenance worker found a material that laboratory results have since confirmed to be asbestos,” said Matt Petrofes, public health director of DHEC Region 8, which serves Beaufort County. “To protect our clients and staff, the health department will remain closed until we are certain that the building is once again safe.”
Petrofes said an asbestos abatement contractor has been hired. The process is expected to take the rest of this week and it is believed that the health department will reopen by Sept. 18.
“In the meantime, limited public health services will be provided in the Region 8 administrative building at 1407 King Street, right across the street from the health department,” Petrofes said. “If residents have questions about appointments this week, and have not already been contacted, they may call 525-7615 for guidance.”
Asbestos is a fire-retardant material that was used for years in the construction industry. In the early 1970s, studies began to indicate exposure to high levels of airborne asbestos fibers might cause a variety of lung diseases. Since then, the use of asbestos has steadily declined. For more information on asbestos, see DHEC’s Web page at: http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/baq/asbestos.aspx.
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For more information:
Nick Davidson – (843) 525-4028
E-mail – davidsne@dhec.sc.gov
or
Thom Berry – (803) 898-3885
E-mail – berrytw@dhec.sc.gov