This post was written by assistant news editors Ryan Lasker and Robin Eberhardt.
Nearly 300 of the Metro’s oldest railcars have been found to have asbestos outside of the cars’ passenger cabins, NBC Washington reported Tuesday.
The hazardous material was found in the heater box behind each affected 1000-series railcar’s evaporator, according to a contractor proposal by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority last week. WMATA is asking for a contractor to remove the material and dispose of the 40-year-old cars as 280 of the 1000-series cars are phased out.
The 1000-series cars are the oldest ones currently in use by the Metro and are used on every line.
“It does not pose a hazard to riders. The only reason for this procurement action is due of the imminent disposal of the cars,” Metro spokesman Dan Stessel told NBC Washington.
Stessel also said that the asbestos is “non-friable, meaning it cannot be crumbled and will not release fibers unless it is abraded – drilled or sawed through.”
Metro spokesperson Sherri Ly also told NBC Washington that three of the 1000-series railcars have exposed asbestos, but they have not been in use since 2009.
Exposure to asbestos can have negative effects on one’s lungs and increase a person’s risk of lung disease and lung cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Metro spokespeople did not tell the news outlet where the contaminated equipment is one each metro car, but a 2009 WMATA document indicates the affected equipment is one the front and end of each 1000-series railcar.
A passenger can determine the series of a Metro car by looking at the number printed on the outside of the car near the top. The 1000-series cars have the number also printed on the interior door at the end of the cars.
The National Transportation Safety Board told Metro to remove the oldest cars from use, a move that was already underway and will continue once the asbestos are removed.
“As the 7000-series railcars enter service, Metro will begin the process of retiring every 1000-series railcar,” Ly told NBC Washington.
