PORT ANGELES – The City of Port Angeles recently received news that the famous Rayonier Locomotive #4, on permanent display along Lauridsen Boulevard, has begun to shed bits of asbestos surrounding the boiler, and the City declared an emergency last Friday to have it removed as soon as possible.
City officials hired Northwest Abatement Services from Lakewood to do some testing to see how much it would cost to remove it.
The company reported last month that pieces of the insulation appeared to be falling off as a result of this winter’s heavy snowfall. They collected samples for testing and the results were just returned last Thursday for high levels of the carcinogen known to cause cancer.
Parks Director Corey Delikat says the time to move on this is now.
Northwest Abatement Services began work this morning to contain the train and surrounding area. A news release sent out today says the company will return to remove the asbestos at a later time at a cost of about $38,000.
(Photo, by Corey Delikat, showing recently added scaffolding)