Cleanup of cancer-causing asbestos underway in Davidson

State environmental and health officials will oversee work in Davidson this week to contain potentially hazardous asbestos that was uncovered after rainfall eroded the earth that covered it.

The eroding slope is on Depot Street, where Carolinas Asbestos Co. made asbestos shingles from the 1930s into the 1960s, the Department of Environmental Quality said.

Asbestos materials were also dumped at the site years before new laws required that it be disposed on in lined landfills.

Once common in building materials, asbestos is now known to cause cancer in people who breathe in its microscopic fibers. Exposure may increase the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

Asbestos-containing material was identified at the Davidson site last fall, after rain washed it down Eden and Sloan streets near the former asbestos plant. Neighbors were notified and the state ordered Metrolina Warehouse LLC, which now owns the site, to clean up the material and stabilize the eroded slope.

Contractors on Monday began removing trees and other vegetation on the slope. They will place layers of clean soil, grass seed and fiber matting to stabilize the slope and prevent further releases.

Consultants will monitor air quality during the work, which is expected to take about four days.

This story was originally published January 30, 2017 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Cleanup of cancer-causing asbestos underway in Davidson."