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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The State Historical Society of North Dakota gave the thumbs up sign to move forward with the project. Barnes County Commission President Eldred Knutson said with that news and the recent go ahead from the state Health Department following an asbestos test the county will move forward to remodel a portion of the basement of the courthouse for a Public Service Answering Point Center.

Knutson asked if the city did the same asbestos inspections following their clean up of lead in the basement of city owned law enforcement center.

City Building and Fire Inspector Dave Andersen said the answer is the city hired an independent engineering agency to inspect, test and monitor the removal of all hazardous materials from the basement of the police station, the site of the former gun range.

Andersen said this was done in accordance with the state health department by a professional licensed abatement company and the reports have been sent to all the agencies that required them in accordance to these state laws.

The company in charge of removal with the city project was Trio Environmental. Company spokesman Thomas Gentzkow said, during the initial walk through of the facility, suspected Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) was identified along the ceiling on the south portion of the city owned facility. He said, this material was pipe insulation and mudded fitting used to insulate the hot and cold water feeding the main floor of the building.

Gentzkow said, Horsley Specialties removed this material as part of the overall project. Due to the ” Lead ” content of the dust within the basement, this material was removed rather then decontaminated. No other ACM currently exist in the basement area of city owned law enforcement center.

Barnes County board of commission moved the Sheriff’s offices out of the city owned law enforcement center earlier this year due in part to airborne lead particles from an indoor shooting range and being the building is in the flood plain. 

The lead clean up in the city owned facility was complete several weeks ago according to City Administrator David Schelkoph and Valley City Police Chief Fred Thompson.