Four agencies to investigate possible asbestos violations from Montana school renovations
Red Lodge school officials may have mishandled asbestos during a remodeling project, and four agencies are investigating: the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Department of Labor and Industry, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
A contractor that was working on the school remodeling project filed a complaint with Montana’s Asbestos Control Program in July after asbestos-containing floor tiles were discovered in two work areas. Although the school completes an asbestos inventory every three years, it did not know that floor tiles containing asbestos were underneath the carpet in one of the rooms. In another room, contractors began to tear up the carpet instead of building new walls on top of the carpet. Asbestos fibers may have been released in the process. Once the incident occurred, the school took action to clear the air and comply with regulations. They brought in Safetech for asbestos abatement and Tetra Tech to test air conditions. Tests shows that air quality in the work areas more than met legal standards.
Both OSHA and the Labor Department are looking into whether or not workers were exposed to asbestos. The DEQ is looking into whether school officials or the lead contractor violated national emissions standards. While the EPA is also looking into the incident to determine whether or not school officials violated the Asbestos Hazardous Emergency Response Act, it has not launched a formal investigation.
For the full story, go to The Billings Gazette.
