Risk of asbestos in debris postpones Magic-Knicks game

Risk of asbestos in debris postpones Magic-Knicks game

Falling debris the night before the game between the hometown New York Knicks and the visiting Orlando Magic prompted MSG and NBA officials to postpone the game.

A statement by MSG said that it is exercising “an abundance of caution” and said that the famous arena would not be opened again until it was 100 percent safe to do so.

MSG workers were clearing asbestos materials overnight when the debris fell. No asbestos were detected in an immediate inspection done by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, agency spokesman Farrell Sklerov said.

Maintenance workers were working in the attic and dust particles set off the arena’s quality monitoring alarms. The dust particles were found to contain no asbestos.

MSG officials said that it is consulting with city authorities on what to do next.

“As the safety of our customers and employees are our top priority, we will not reopen the Garden until we are absolutely assured the arena is safe,” an MSG statement said.

The MSG and the NBA have not announced a new date for the postponed game.

The Knicks’ next home game will be on Friday against the Washington Wizards, and will play again at the arena on Sunday as part of a doubleheader with the Rangers.

The Madison Square Garden, its latest location and structure known as “Garden IV”, was opened in February 1968 and is currently being renovated at a cost of $775 to $850 million. If there is a prolonged closure, the Knicks can play in nearby arenas, with the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey being one consideration.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Wednesday November 03 2010, 3:19 PM EST. Ref: AP. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0