City Must Pay Asbestos Fines
September 18th, 2007
The city of Oakridge, Oregon – near Eugene – has been ordered to pay a fine for blatantly disregarding rules concerning the handling of asbestos-containing debris during a demolition project last spring
According to an account on KMTR News Source 16, the city must pay nearly $10,000 in fines for failure to check for asbestos in several mobile homes and other buildings it demolished back in May. As a result, asbestos fibers may have circulated through the air, putting those nearby – including demolition workers – at risk for inhaling the toxic substance.
City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman that environmental authorities that the city bought land that included the homes and relied on the property seller’s signed statement that they contained no hazardous material. No further investigation was made before demolition began.
A representative of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency verified that the fine was levied because Oakridge, among other things, “failed to conduct an asbestos survey prior to demolition and allowed uncertified contractors to conduct an asbestos abatement project.” The city may appeal the fines.
