Before you dig into that remodeling project, you should survey the material to be sure you’re not unleashing dangerous asbestos fibers. Brian Hutchins with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says your home doesn’t have to be decades old to contain asbestos materials. “I guess the research would tell us that it’s more prevalent in older homes — like prior to 1990 — but it’s not to say that it can’t be in newer construction as well,” Hutchins says. “Asbestos products can still be imported into the U-S and there’s just a whole lot of different products that have used asbestos.”

Asbestos fibers can cause disease or cancer more than 20 years after the exposure. There are some key areas where you might find asbestos. “Piping insulation, that is an area where it is pretty common that it’s asbestos-containing material, especially in the old thermal insulation material. Flooring material, things like floor tile, linoleum and also the adhesive that is used to glue those materials down. Roofing material — it could be present in shingles and felt paper, and insulation as well,” Hutchins says.

He says you may not be able to tell if a material contains asbestos and should have it checked out. “The only way to know for sure is to actually have the material tested. It really should be sampled by a certified inspector, and then that gets sent into a lab where it is analyzed to determine its asbestos content,” according to Hutchins.

There are state regulations that apply to asbestos removal for commercial buildings, but they don’t apply to single family homes. Even so, Hutchins says you should really have a professional remove the asbestos, as doing it the wrong way increases your exposure. “As long as the material is not damaged and you’re not going to be disturbing it, there’s really no health concern at that point,” he says. “It’s really when you start disturbing that material and releasing those fibers into the air.”

Hutchins says the state certifies people who remove asbestos and you should look for someone with certification to do any removal work. July is Asbestos Awareness Month.

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities in  Montgomery County report the arrest at around 10:04-p.m. Sunday, of 37-year old John Wayne Goodall, of Red Oak. Goodall’s 1995 Chevy S-10 pickup  was pulled over near the intersection of Broadway and West Reed Streets, and he was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. He was subsequently cited for the offense, and released.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are trying to determine what caused an explosion that injured five people performing electrical work at a manufacturing plant in northwest Iowa. The Osceola County Sheriff’s office says the explosion happened at the Timewell Tile plant in Sibley on Saturday morning while workers were switching some power lines to a newer transformer. Lieutenant Seth Hoffman says five men sustained burns in the accident. Some of the burns were extensive, but authorities didn’t immediately release their names yesterday.

TOLEDO, Iowa (AP) — Human rights lawyers are questioning the Iowa Juvenile Home’s use of solitary rooms for teen girls in foster care for months at a time. The Des Moines Register reports the state-run home where as many as 57 youths with behavior issues are treated uses isolation cells and sometimes withholds classroom instruction to control behavior.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s 911 system is working again after a problem that routed some calls to out-of-town call centers. The Des Moines Register reports problems started Friday evening and continued until Saturday. David Lingren, executive director of the Iowa Communications Network, says most of the system was operating normally by Saturday morning.

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — Authorities believe that someone who was reported missing on the Upper Iowa River this weekend likely drowned. KCRG reports rescue crews were still looking for the person yesterday. Witnesses say someone went underwater near a dam east of Decorah on Saturday.

The Audubon City Council is set to meet Monday evening, to act on a resolution authorizing an amendment to a loan and disbursement agreement between the City, and the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA). The Council will also act on authorizing and providing for the re-issuance of the $2.066-million Sewer Revenue Capital Loan Note, Series 2002. The action is needed in order for the City to take advantage of a new, IFA reduced the interest rate from 3-percent to 1.75-percent.

The Council will also act on Audit proposals, and a motion to accept them, along with approving a request from the Audubon Chamber of Commerce pertaining to the T-Bone Celebration.

The meeting begins in the Audubon City Hall’s Council Chambers, at 7-p.m., Monday.