Asbestos discovery halts work in the Turcot Yards

Construction work has stopped in the Turcot Yards after asbestos was found in the soil.

The site was tested this week, as preparatory work is underway for the big overhaul project of the Turcot Interchange.

We didnt expect to find asbestos there,-Alain-MarcDub, TQ director of theTurcotproject

Transports Qubec said it was surprised by the lab results.

Its one of the oldest industrial areas in Montreal and in Canada. So of course we find a lot of various contaminations, but we didnt expect to find asbestos there, said Alain-Marc Dub, director of the Turcot project.

So what we did is we stopped the work right away.

Quebecs transport ministry sent soil samples to a lab this week.

The results came back showing asbestos levels anywhere from 0.1 per cent to as high as 10 per cent.

Its a variable amount from one sample to the other. Well be confirming exactly what the amount is by conducting additional testing, Dub said.

The ministry says its not sure how the site got contaminated.

Dub said it's possible the asbestos comes from coal-burning residue from the railway running through the area.

Workers safety first

Transports Qubec said the site will now be closed for about a weekto make sureworkers are not exposed to the mineral, which has been linked to cancer.

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We stopped the work right away. There is no specific risk, but we dont want our workers to have any exposure to asbestos, Dub said, adding that about 50 workers were assigned to the site.

Once additional test results come in, the ministry will decide if any safety measures need to be put in place to protect the workers.

Other preparatory work that doesn't expose workers to the soilis still ongoing.