As for Asbestos, that one wasn't overblown in the least.
I'm no expert on this, but isn't the danger from asbestos limited to those who breath asbestos fibers repeatedly over a long time frame? The current trend seems to be to eliminate any asbestos from the structure even if it is totally encased and cannot be inhaled.
I wish I had a link to an article I read some time ago that explained this in detail.
It absolutely was is overblown.