In yet another example for our attorneys of the way that asbestos abatement impacts New York communities, officials with the City of Newburgh announced recently that the Hudson Valley town joined forces with two banking entities to create an asbestos cleanup fund to help developers cover the costs of rehabbing long-neglected homes and commercial buildings there.
The need for the fund was revealed when the city learned that neither private investors nor non-profit community development agencies like Habitat for Humanity were willing to take on the chore of rehabilitating some of Newburgh buildings, stating that the asbestos cleanup alone could cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $120,000, and that’s even before the property’s redevelopment phase.
Lead also is a persistent problem in the homes in Newburgh, where more than 85 percent of the housing stock was constructed before the 1970s, according to The Times Herald Record.
Buildings located on three dilapidated downtown Newburgh streets will take priority when it comes to lead and asbestos clean-up. The rules of the fund stipulate that when a property is cleaned up, remodeled and successfully resold, the developer must repay the city’s cleanup fund. If the property is too contaminated for redevelopment, that loan is handled more like a grant and does not have to be repaid.
Regardless of whether you were exposed to asbestos in one of New York City’s five boroughs or someplace upstate like the City of Newburgh, the asbestos attorneys at The Williams Law Firm, P. C. can help protect your rights and secure compensation for asbestos disease treatment. Please contact our New York City offices online or by telephone for your free mesothelioma case evaluation: (855) 955-6376 .