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‘Asbestos Town’ Uncovers History And Tensions Around Old Asbestos Mill In Davidson

A worker mows a Davidson resident's lawn during an asbestos cleanup in 2017. Workers wet the grass and wore protective gear because of concern over asbestos.
Courtesy of Tim Mascara
A worker mows a Davidson resident's lawn during an asbestos cleanup in 2017. Workers wet the grass and wore protective gear because of concern over asbestos.

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021

An old cotton mill-turned-asbestos factory still lingers on a prime piece of real estate near downtown Davidson. Developers have long tried to redevelop the site, but more than 2,000 tons of asbestos contamination has made that nearly impossible.

Waste asbestos is also scattered across the town and buried in neighborhoods where it was once used as fill material in people’s yards. Along with health and environmental concerns, there’s a deep sense of distrust among some longtime residents. Many in the town’s historically Black neighborhood have lost loved ones to what they believe were asbestos-related diseases.

WFAE’s David Boraks has dug into the deep-seated tensions and legacy surrounding the old mill in a three-part series called “Asbestos Town” and we’ll learn more.

Guests

David Boraks, WFAE reporter and host of WFAE’s three-part series Asbestos Town

Linda Reinstein, president and co-founder of the California-based Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

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Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE's Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. She has been with the show since joining the station in 2006. She's a native Charlottean.