Decision To Be Made On Billings Courthouse -- MesoLink.org -- 03-29-05

Officials are still considering the fate of the James F Battin Federal Courthouse in Billings due to asbestos levels in the building. The courthouse has already hit the headline earlier this year, after the staff was evacuated following the detection of asbestos within the building. The courthouse had already closed shortly before the most recent closure, once again due to asbestos presence.

The General Services Administration is reaching the decision with regards to the courthouse, which is located in downtown Billings between third and fourth avenues North. Officials need to decide whether the building should undergo modernization and abatement or whether they should get rid of it altogether. The major problem comes with deciding where to relocate staff, which would need to be done in either event.

An abatement and modernization project on the building could take some time and a great deal of money, and would result in having to find long term temporary offices for the staff. Getting rid of the building would pose the problem if finding permanent alternative offices for the staff. It is thought that modernizing the building and conducting asbestos abatement could take a number of years.

Asbestos was once a commonly used substance in building, and today can be found in many older buildings. Exposure to loose asbestos fibres in the air has been linked to a number of health problems, including the deadly cancer, mesothelioma.