Beautiful mural concealed a deadly secret: mesothelioma-causing asbestos
In Denver, Colorado, a stunning mural depicting historical scenes has been found to contain a material that can cause certain types of cancer, including mesothelioma. The Colorado State Judicial Building has long been the home of a massive 150-foot long mural painted by Angelo di Benedetto.
But as workers prepared to take down the panels that the mural was painted on, they discovered a disturbing secret.
"Everybody said, ‘Wait a minute! This isn’t wood.’ The panels are on a material that is 30 percent asbestos," said Bill Mosher, managing director of developer Trammel Crow and manager of the courthouse project. Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms. Exposure to asbestos can also cause scarring of the lining of the lungs and deadly chronic respiratory problems.
The mural was being removed in preparation for the demolition of the judicial building, which is to be replaced by a new courthouse complex. According to Mosher, the panels are unlikely to release asbestos fibers unless they are damaged. "After lots of discussion and talk with attorneys and the state Health Department, we decided we are going to continue to remove it and try to store it in a safe manner," he announced, adding that he thinks it is unlikely that this incident will delay the demolition, which is set to be completed by the end of August.