Fairfax County has spent nearly $700,000 in a years-long effort to dig out asbestos from dozens of buildings at the shuttered Lorton prison.
In 2003, Fairfax County began the lengthy, tedious task of clearing the dangerous material from the still-standing structures on the over 2,000-acre site at the southern end of the county.
The cleanup is part of preparations for the redevelopment of the former prison into a mix of homes, shops and an enormous arts center, a project dubbed Laurel Hill. The project calls for the reuse of many of the prison structures.
So far, some 47 buildings at the former prison have been treated by Maryland-based contractor WACO Inc., according to information provided by Fairfax County. Not all of the 127 buildings that once stood at the site, built in the 1920s and ’30s, had asbestos. Some have since been demolished.
About $670,000 has been spent so far on the removal.
Asbestos was once a popular insulation material used in public buildings until it was discovered that small bits of the fibrous substance could enter the lungs and cause severe health problems, included a form of cancer called mesothelioma.
Crews are also installing new roofs on the prison buildings and replacing spouts and gutters in order to seal them from the elements.
“It’s more than just cosmetic; it’s actually getting the water away from the buildings,” said Chris Caperton, Laurel Hill project coordinator with Fairfax County. “A lot of that had to be upgraded because it was all pretty old.”
