Asbestos Found at City Yard Site

Preliminary test results of siding taken from buildings that were torn down at the former Lawndale city yard indicate the material contains asbestos, an Air Quality Management District air pollution specialist said.

Samples of the siding, which were tested by chemists at the AQMD laboratory, will be sent this week to a private laboratory to confirm the agency’s findings, said specialist Michael Haynes.

Whether the city of Lawndale is cited or fined will depend on a number of factors, including the results of the independent laboratory’s test, the amount of asbestos in the material and the size of the buildings that were demolished, Haynes said.

The testing was done amid complaints by neighbors who warned of possible asbestos contamination from dust from the demolition site drifting into their yards and homes.

The three old houses on the lot, which had been used by the city as storage space, were being torn down after residents complained that they had fallen into disrepair.