PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Ryane Smith and her household are a part of a rising development: they dwell in an RV full-time. Proper now, they name Solar Retreats Dunedin, a cellular house and RV park off Alternate 19, their non permanent house.
“We find it irresistible,” Smith mentioned. “The neighborhood is nice.”
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Residing simply minutes from world-class seashores, they usually don’t have anything however optimistic issues to say a few blissful way of life, 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 cellular properties all through the park that had been considerably broken by Hurricane Helene’s storm surge are within the technique of being demolished.
Lately, Smith discovered that a few of these properties comprise asbestos, a mineral generally present in older constructing supplies. In line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, asbestos may cause severe and generally deadly ailments.
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“We delight ourselves on household and freedom and having the ability to dwell the life that we dwell, 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 often called Sandpiper.
“Possibly like 20 or 30 ft,” she mentioned. “It’s only one paved website 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 just about fixed sea breeze within the space generally causes the plastic sheet to carry from the dumpster’s high.
“That’s what’s freaking me out via all of this,” she mentioned.
In line with a spokesperson with Pinellas County, the county’s Air High quality Division is monitoring the continued asbestos abatement and demolition of 27 cellular properties in Solar Retreats Dunedin.
“The undertaking 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 repeatedly scheduled March 28 inspection relating to the looks of the asbestos waste storage container on website, and once more on April 15 to handle issues from a resident.”
In a brief telephone name on Wednesday, a consultant from Plant Metropolis-based JES Abatement Inc. confirmed that it owns the dumpster.
The consultant, who angrily ended the telephone earlier than answering additional questions or offering his full identify, mentioned the dumpster is in compliance. Nonetheless, he mentioned it will likely be moved after current complaints.
A regional vice chairman for Solar Retreats, who was on-site Wednesday, clarified that the dumpster can be moved to a distinct spot of the resort early Thursday morning and faraway from the property fully by subsequent week.
Smith, nevertheless, is just not but satisfied as a result of she mentioned she was beforehand advised 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 issues to make sure the security 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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