Employees at the Nampa Post Office say they've been working in unsafe conditions for months, raising concerns about possible asbestos exposure and sewage backups inside the nearly century-old building.The Nampa Post Office has s erved the community from its 11th Avenue South location since 1931. Now, workers are questioning whether postal leaders properly handled a possible asbestos exposure mixed with a sewage backup. WATCH | Idaho News 6 investigates worker concerns over asbestos, sewage backups and safety at the Nampa Post Office Safety and health concerns surface after reported asbestos, sewage issues at nearly century-old Nampa Post OfficeThe concerns came to Idaho News 6 in May from the partner of a postal employee, citing flooding in the building's basement where asbestos-containing materials had previously been identified.Don Bouie, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 479, says current employees contacted the union after reporting sewage backups, flooding and concerns that maintenance work may have disturbed asbestos-containing materials."It was seeping up through the drains as well as through the toilets and onto the floors. Terrible smell, worse than a porta potty," Bouie said.Documents Bouie shared with Idaho News 6 show asbestos-containing materials were identified in parts of the building during a 1996 inspection. A 1997 Postal Service memo instructed management to review asbestos procedures with employees, post warning signs, and ensure those materials were not disturbed.Bouie says those concerns resurfaced this spring when flooring was removed during maintenance work, but documents labeled the work as mold abatement."There was no pre-testing or testing after," Bouie said. "There was nothing to notify anyone that there was asbestos being disturbed on the second floor, and once that gets into the filtration system, it goes everywhere".According to the CDC, breathing asbestos fibers over time can damage the lungs and surrounding tissue. Matthew Cooper of Resto Clean explained the specific risk."As long as it's in building materials, is not an environmental risk or a hazard. It's when you start demoing and turning it into aerosolized dust is when it becomes an issue," Cooper said."The concern is, once those fibers get in, if they don't come out, they can actually cause cancers to form," Cooper said.In Idaho, employers are required to follow federal workplace safety standards for handling asbestos. Those standards include employee training, proper containment when asbestos-containing materials may be disturbed, and medical monitoring when workers' exposure exceeds regulatory limits.Neighborhood Reporter Victoria Rodriguez spoke with 2 employees who asked not to be identified. They told Idaho News 6 they experienced headaches and vomiting while working in the building, which they believe were connected to the sewage backup in areas where asbestos-containing materials were present.According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers does not often result in immediate acute reactions such as headaches or nausea. Symptoms sometimes don't show up until decades later.Bouie says the sewage backed up into the basement and took weeks to resolve fully."Three employees had to go to urgent care for sewage gas contaminants," Bouie said.Those employees were temporarily reassigned to another Nampa postal facility during cleanup before returning to the main post office.Bouie says workers deserve to know if the building is safe and feels strongly that operations should have been moved outside during cleanup."Basically, same here again all the population that was coming in to the post office here in March and April was exposed to the same sewage fumes," Bouie said.Idaho News 6 reached out to the U.S. Postal Service for comment. A public records request remains pending. Meanwhile, the postal workers union says it's filing safety grievances on behalf of employees.If there's an issue affecting your neighborhood in Canyon County that you think deserves a closer look, reach out at [email protected] Canyon County happenings, news, and more join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News - Nampa, Caldwell, MiddletonThis story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less