Able Contractors fined $30k for asbestos violations
Able Contractors Inc. of Brush Prairie has been fined $30,409 by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for alleged asbestos-handling violations. The DEQ alleges that Able Contractors did not properly document an asbestos abatement project at a retirement home in Newberg, and they removed asbestos-containing material without sampling the air quality. Able Contractors was already fined $17,588 for an asbestos abatement project elsewhere this year. The company did not appeal the fine, but they have not yet paid the penalty, either.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that was once commonly used in building materials as insulation and as a fire-retardant. If asbestos-containing materials are disturbed by repairs, renovation or demolition work, asbestos fibers can become airborne. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can cause serious asbestos-related illnesses like asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare but serious form of cancer.
For the full story, go to Columbian.com.
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