GARDEN GROVE : No Asbestos Hazard Found at City Hall

A state safety and health investigator began an inspection of City Hall this week to determine whether workers are being exposed to asbestos.

California Occupational Safety and Health Administration District Manager Jim Brown said Friday that there is no evidence so far to indicate that employees are being exposed to the lung-threatening asbestos fibers in the building. The building started out as an elementary school in 1924 and was converted to city offices in 1956, when Garden Grove became a city.

More tests are scheduled, but “there doesn’t seem to be a problem,” Brown said. However, the building that houses about 150 City Hall workers reportedly poses major fire safety problems and because of that, its days as a City Hall may be numbered, officials said.

City Manager George Tindall said there are particular problems in regard to exits and evacuation routes. He warned City Council members this week that he could be held criminally liable in case of a fire disaster and that they also could named in litigation.

Officials, despite a $6-million budget deficit, plan to install a sprinkler system in the coming year to address the fire threat.

City Councilman Mark Leyes said Friday that construction of a new City Hall has been identified as a probable redevelopment project.

An investigator from the Cal/OSHA office in Anaheim began checking out the building Thursday after an unidentified city employee filed a grievance. City officials had notified workers that asbestos was used in the ceilings and as insulation in the building.

The investigator reportedly tested the air, checked out the air-conditioning system and talked to employees during his visit.

The agency has the authority to ensure health and safety standards, and it could close City Hall if necessary, Brown said.