Possible Asbestos Exposure Displaces 15 In West LA

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — More than a dozen West L.A. residents were forced to find another place to stay for the night after asbestos was found in their apartment building.

Los Angeles County Health Hazmat officials were sent out to an apartment in the 1800 block of South Prosser Avenue and requested the help of the Los Angeles Fire Department, fire spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

The building's manager had been doing renovations and recently removed popcorn ceilings from apartments, then disposed of it in the building's dumpsters, according to residents, who believe this was the source of the exposure.

"Most property managers know that if you're going to do construction, you have to do it properly and dispose of it properly," one resident, who was not named, said. "Unfortunately they just hire whoever."

If it becomes airborne, asbestos can cause lung cancer.

Fifteen residents were decontaminated. The Red Cross provided temporary transportation and lodging assistance to those who were displaced.

The cause of the exposure remains under investigation.