The Department of Environmental Quality has halted the demolition of several old Oregon buildings and will force the construction company to pay large fines over the improper handling of large amounts of asbestos, which has caused high levels of asbestos dust to permeate the area.
The lot is bordered on one side by three houses, and on another by the In Home Medical building.
The Investigation
The DEQ received a complaint about the air quality near the site and conducted an investigation led by Tom Hack, air quality specialist. He said that all the buildings were already demolished before the DEQ had an opportunity to survey they site, so they do not know exactly how much asbestos was disturbed.
Asbestos does not pose a serious threat until the material it is contained in is crushed, worn, or otherwise altered so that the fibers are released in the form of dust which can linger in the air and be easily inhaled, causing asbestosis, mesothelioma, or other health issues.
Hack took several samples from the site. Each tested positive for asbestos fibers. Hack then issued a notice to Hatley Construction on Jan. 5 allowing it until Jan. 16 to contract an “Oregon-licensed asbestos abatement contractor to remove, at minimum, the top two inches of soil throughout the entire site except for the former foundations.”
“That was two to three weeks ago, and it’s time to get this done,” said Hack. The agency said that the materials “must be removed and treated as asbestos-containing material.”
The Citations
The notice also informed Hatley Construction that it had committed two infractions: conducting a “friable asbestos abatement program without an Oregon-licensed asbestos abatement contractor,” and allowing the “open accumulation of an asbestos-containing material.” These are both Class 1 violations, which are the most serious, and carry the largest civil penalties.
Hack advised people to stay away from the area because it is likely that asbestos fibers were blown around the neighborhood.
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