Old North resident Leon Bell went to the hospital on Monday, July 17 because he was having chest pains and lung problems after the historic Clemens Mansion caught fire on July 12 – just a block from his home.
It’s believed that the mansion, at 1849 Cass Ave. and with ties to Mark Twain, had an asbestos roof, according to the city’s operations director. Those remains and dust particles were scattered throughout neighbors’ yards and homes.
“All of my doors were open,” Bell said. “All of my windows were open because the fire department was trying to release the smoke out. There’s a lot of dust on the floors. After I found out that it contained asbestos, which we all know is a very serious chemical, I can’t let my kids back in there. We need someone to test inside these houses. For human lives, we should be more concerned.”
Asbestos is a dangerous material that can get trapped inside your body and cause serious health problems. Asbestos-containing materials are most harmful when the dust and fibers are released into the air where they can be ingested or inhaled.
Since July 12, residents have been calling on the city and the mansion’s owner, Paul McKee Jr.’s NorthSide Regeneration LLC, to remediate the asbestos from the area. When they got no response, residents also reached out to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for help. The federal agency finally came to test the site on Monday evening, accompanied by officials from the city’s health department.
However, the EPA inspectors couldn’t get very far because McKee would not let the EPA test on his property – much to the outrage of residents.
In a July 17 statement to The St. Louis American, McKee said that he didn’t let the EPA test because the “house is not stable, is unsafe and our insurance company has advised us not to let anyone enter the home until it is deemed safe for entry.”
The EPA inspectors collected samples around the property, and on Tuesday evening they announced that they had discovered asbestos, according to Mayor Lyda Krewson’s office. The EPA finally obtained access to the property and were able to test on site on Wednesday. They have also set up air-monitoring equipment in a three-block radius around the mansion to test for airborne contamination and will have results back on Thursday evening, according to the mayor.
“Those results will dictate what happens next,” Krewson said at a press conference on July 19 at her office.
The EPA recommended that residents not disturb any debris from the fire until health officials conduct further tests and determine the best way to clean up the remains. City officials are working with the EPA on an action plan and will keep the public informed about all test results.
Krewson said that the EPA looks to the responsibly party to remediate the debris.
“In this case, the EPA believes that NorthSide Regeneration is the accountable party,” she said.
An EPA spokesman said they have “been in talks” with NorthSide about remediation but could not confirm that the company had agreed to clean up the site or surrounding neighborhood. A NorthSide spokesman told The American that the company is currently receiving bids to “stabilize and clean up this historic site.”
“And then NSR will provide the winning bidder the approval to move forward once the bid, plans and process has been approved and meets the insurance company and city’s requirements,” a NorthSide spokesman stated.
NorthSide did not response to the American’s question about cleaning up debris and contamination in the surrounding neighborhood.
Megan Betts, a community organizer who lives nearby, said she is worried about the health of her three children. This weekend, Betts was planning on holding a joint birthday party for her two youngest children, who are 6 and 7.
“We were going to open up the backyard and have all the neighbors come over,” Betts said. “I’m very conflicted. My kids have not been out in our yard because there is asbestos all over the grass.”
Residents are frustrated at the response they have received from the city health department and McKee. Betts said when they first spoke with a health department representative, he said, ‘We don’t have a lab to test. You need to call the EPA spill line and the Department of Natural Resources spill line. We can’t do anything. We don’t have the resources to do it.”
When they called the state and federal agencies, both were shocked that the city’s health department wasn’t taking responsibility or action.
“The man at the EPA even said, ‘Looks like you better hire a lawyer,’” Betts said.
Betts said that there has been “zero communication” between the health department and the residents. Three days after the fire, resident Larry Chapman had the fire remains that landed in the neighborhood tested for asbestos at the St. Louis Testing Laboratories, located at 1210 Clark Ave. The American reviewed those results, which came back positive.
On July 17, the health department released a statement that said they took “immediate action” and contacted the EPA to conduct a sampling at the mansion for “toxic contamination from wind-blown buildings materials from the fire.”
“The health hazards and health concerns from the burned materials prompted us to make the request right away,” said Chantez Williams, program manager for the health department.
The American asked Krewson whether or not the health department will be working within the neighborhood to answer questions that residents have about how to handle dust in their homes and other debris – as many residents say they haven’t had any contact with city health workers.
She said, “I know some residents have had contact with the health department, but we haven’t had a lot of answers until now. We just learned this 24 hours ago, and we’ve met with the EPA. Right now, we are still waiting for some more test results. In terms of dust on coffee tables, the EPA specifically said that you can wipe it off with a damp paper towel.”
The EPA will answer residents’ questions at the St. Louis Place Community Partners Neighborhood Association meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 20 at the Grio Museum of Black History, 2505 St. Louis Avenue.
“We need someone to test inside these houses. For human lives, we should be more concerned.” – Leon Bell