Dust from demolition of hundreds of KC homes poses health risk

As an excavator claw tore into the vacant Kansas City house, walls collapsed and dust billowed up and out over the spectators standing across the street.

But this wasnt the same dust that swirls around a baseball infield.

Dust from demolishing homes that range from 50 to 100 years old contains paint made with lead and mercury, as well as other particulates that can trigger respiratory problems.

Kansas Citys demolition practices are being called into question now that the city has started two projects that will tear down over several years more than 1,000 pre-1978 homes, mainly on the East Side.

According to state regulations, demolition dust must be kept to a minimum and should not be visible beyond property boundaries.

But news photos and videos in recent months captured two home demolitions that show clouds of dust blowing into neighborhoods.

In one case in January, in an area being cleared for the new East Patrol police station, an excavator with a huge claw ripped into a home and dust drifted over a few dozen onlookers, including city officials, residents and children.

In another demolition in September, part of the citys effort to begin ridding neighborhoods of the blight of abandoned homes, Mayor Sly James operated the equipment. Dust swelled, choking the mayor and onlookers.

Those two demolitions have prompted very different reactions from city officials.

One who oversees the East Patrol project said last week that the dust from the demolition of two homes near 26th and Olive streets should have been better controlled.

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Dust from demolition of hundreds of KC homes poses health risk