Museum of Science Closed After New Times Investigation Found Asbestos in Planetarium

Miami's Museum of Science has been closed after a New Times investigation led to the discovery of asbestos

​A New Times investigation into an ex-employee's complaints of asbestos in the Miami planetarium has led the Museum of Science to shut down temporarily.

Tests conducted by an independent lab show that there is 15 percent amosite asbestos -- a particularly dangerous type of the carcinogenic material -- in an electrical corridor near the planetarium's production room.

And although an ex-employee had sent photos of the room and complained about possible asbestos to at least one other employee, Museum of Science staff still claimed the insulation was "harmless" on Wednesday, when a New Times reporter visited.