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State Shuts Down Easton Demolition Site, Neighbors Concerned About Soot Cloud

EASTON (CBS) - People living and working near a building that's being demolished in Easton say they are worried about the air they are breathing.

The state just shut down the job site, but the neighborhood is already coated with dust.

Tom Cudworth, who owns a car dealership across the street from the site, took photos of the
plumes of dust and soot coming off the site as crews knocked the building down this week.

"There were clouds and clouds of black soot," Cudworth said. "It's like two hundred years of contaminants that they have just released into the air."

Residents are especially worried because there's asbestos on the site.

"This is what we've been breathing for the last week," Cudworth said.

Cudworth says the demolition has covered his cars in soot and has even cost him possible sales.

"I've been calling and complaining to everyone. I have thirty plus cars that are damaged by this," Cudworth said. "I had a customer on the lot that left because he thought - you know - seeing a big black cloud coming over the dealership, he got in his car and left."

Investigators from the State Department of Environmental Protection shut down the site on Friday after learning the contractor didn't have a demolition permit.

The contractor faces possible fines.

DEP officials inspected the site Friday and said they don't have any health concerns at this time, but they will continue to monitor the situation. When work does resume, they will require better dust control on the job site.

Phone calls to the demolition company were not returned.

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