Melting rooftop snow and ice finally caused Chantel Tejeda’s living room ceiling to collapse in late February, and many of her neighbors at Royal Crest Estates in North Andover, Massachusetts are encountering similar problems. Tejada and other Royal Crest residents have been relocated to a nearby hotel for the duration of repairs.
Asbestos is a highly toxic mineral that was commonly used in building materials throughout the 19th and 20th centuries because of its strength and fire resistant qualities. Asbestos was banned from use in the United States in 1989 for causing such fatal illnesses as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the lungs, chest wall, and abdomen. Despite its banning, asbestos can still found in many homes constructed prior to the 1980′s.
Tejeda and her teenage daughter were told by Royal Crest management that they would be sent to La Quinta Inn and Suites in Andover for two days so that workers could fix their ceiling. When their stay was extended and Tejeda returned home to pick up more clothing, workers told her that ongoing asbestos removal was taking place and that she could not enter.
Tejada estimates that tenants from about 10 Royal Crest apartments are staying at La Quinta, none of whom have been told when they can return home. Royal Crest is paying for the hotel stay of displaced residents and offering a $25-per person per day meal allowance. However, it is not the inconvenience that these residents have to face that is most worrisome. It is the fact that they may have been exposed to a hazardous substance like asbestos and put at risk of developing asbestos cancer, with Royal Crest being unwilling to inform them ahead of time.