Asbestos Scare Shuts Down Madison Square Garden

(Nov. 3) -- New York City's Madison Square Garden is closed today as a precaution after debris fell onto the arena during the cleaning of "asbestos-related materials." However, city inspectors found that no asbestos had escaped, according to news reports.

The cleaning took place during overnight maintenance after Monday's New York Rangers hockey game. The garden released a statement Tuesday saying it postponed that night's New York Knicks-Orlando Magic basketball game "out of an abundance of caution."

"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," the statement said.

The closure may just be for a few days. City inspectors concluded that asbestos, which can cause lung cancer, had not been released when the materials were knocked loose during the cleaning, The New York Times and The Associated Press reported.

"It doesn't appear that any asbestos was disturbed," Farrell Sklerov, a spokesman for the city's Department of Environmental Protection, told the newspaper.

Testing by independent air monitors got the same result, Sklerov said.

Garden officials declined to comment to the paper on the city's findings but said in the statement it would work with the city and independent experts, ATC Associates and GCI Environmental Advisory, to determine the next step. The statement did not say how long the arena would be closed, and no make-up date was given for the Knicks game.

The concern was raised because the debris that fell caused air monitors to show slightly higher levels of airborne fibers, the Times said, but further testing that can tell the difference between different types of fibers did not find any asbestos. The "asbestos-related materials" being cleaned were in the attic above the ceiling, the garden's statement said.

The venue known as "the world's most famous arena" has several events scheduled in the coming days: The Knicks host the Washington Wizards on Friday night, the Roger Waters: The Wall Live concert is Saturday night, and the Knicks and Rangers both play Sunday.

If the arena stays shut, the Knicks might need a temporary home. The Izod Center in nearby East Rutherford, N.J., is a possibility, AP said.

The garden has been undergoing a renovation since last summer that is expected to cost up to $850 million, according to AP. Major work is to be done during the next two summers.

Madison Square Garden, which opened in February 1968, is the NBA's oldest venue and still has building materials from the era, including asbestos used as a fire retardant, according to the Times.

Mark Strauss, a lawyer who represents people with mesothelioma, a cancer related to the inhalation of asbestos, told the newspaper that the garden made the right decision to close.

"It makes me proud to live in this city when people act safe like that," Strauss said. "Better to act on the side of being safe, instead of assuming something is safe."