National Guard Remediates Asbestos Contamination Found During Building Restoration at Manor Road Armory

STATEN ISLAND, NY (01/12/2010)(readMedia)-- The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs (DMNA) closed parts of the New York State Armory on Manor Road in Staten Island on Monday, January 4th following the discovery of asbestos contamination in some armory offices and work spaces.

At this time, the armory drill shed, weapons storage and supply rooms are not affected. Combined Support Maintenance Shop B also located at the site is not affected and remains open for normal missions.

Full time staff and drilling units assigned to the armory have been shifted to other New York City armories to perform their routine duties and training.

DMNA has coordinated with the New York State Office of General Services to pursue emergency contract work to safely remove and clean all pieces of equipment that remain in the armory so they can be again used by the staff and Soldiers. In addition, efforts are underway to obtain an asbestos abatement contract with a licensed provider.

The goal is to have the armory ready to be reoccupied by August 15.

Soldiers and other military staff assigned to the armory have completed Department of Defense medical evaluation forms which will be kept in their military medical files as a baseline in case they develop any kind of medical condition which could be related to asbestos exposure in the future.

The asbestos is a component of a fireproof coating that was applied to the main ceiling in the armory's work spaces sometime in the 1940s or 1950s. This material began to flake off and fall onto drop ceilings during a window replacement and masonry repair project that began in September 2009. This project, part of the aggressive maintenance and restoration effort at the historic building, involved replacing decaying original windows with modern, energy-efficient replacements which maintain the historic look of the building.

The agency identified the potential for asbestos contamination in October and began conducting tests. Initial atmospheric testing in the workplaces came up negative. Follow on testing revealed the presence of some asbestos fibers on surfaces in workspaces and at that point the decision was made to close offices and, eventually, most of the building.

The armory was constructed in 1926 as headquarters for a National Guard Cavalry Brigade. It is currently home to of the 145th Maintenance Company and the 42nd Infantry Division's Tactical Headquarters 2 (TAC 2). Through the use of primarily federal funds, over $5 million has been invested to preserve this historic site over the last five years.

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