A Salvation Army store in Des Moines has been shut down by state officialswho were tipped off that employees were improperly removing asbestos. Thestore, which is a few blocks from the capital, is near the Des Moines policedepartment, too. A spokesman for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources,Brian Button, says state inspectors immediately closed the store and orderedthe asbestos material piled in the parking lot to be wet down to preventblowing dust particles.Managers of the Salvation Army store were ordered to hire a properlycertified contractor to deal with the asbestos. Button says it’s unusual tofind such a cavalier attitude about the cancer-causing material.Button says it’s premature to discuss possible fines against the SalvationArmy for the incident. Merchandise in the discount store has beencontaminated.
