Oregon Dept of Environmental Quality fines Klamath County and the contractor the county hired for unlicensed asbestos removal
Klamath County, Oregon has been ordered to pay fines of $8,229 for hiring an unlicensed person to handle asbestos removal on a county road project to install storm drains in Klamath Falls. The contractor hired by the county was also fined $4,200 by the state Dept of Environmental Quality for doing asbestos abatement without a proper license. DEQ inspectors visiting the work site found that about 40 feet of pipe containing 52 percent asbestos had been shattered or broken when it was excavated. When asbestos-containing products are damaged or disturbed, they can release asbestos fibers. If those fibers are inhaled, they can cause asbestos, lung cancer and mesothelioma. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, and asbestos regulations require very specific handling of these products to avoid dangerous exposures.
For the full story, go to Oregon’s KTLV News 10.
