Oregon flooring contractor fined for asbestos violations
Rubenstein’s Contract Carpeting LLC was fined $1,800 by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for asbestos violations related to an asbestos abatement project at Bend Senior High School. On September 3, 2009, subcontractors used putty knives and scrapers to remove 20 square feet of asbestos floor tiles at the high school. Neither Rubenstein’s nor the subcontractors were licensed or certified to perform asbestos abatement. Unlicensed asbestos abatement is against DEQ regulations. The contractor appealed the penalty in December.
Asbestos abatement is strictly regulated in order to protect public health and the health of the workers. The subcontractors who performed the asbestos removal at the high school broke up the asbestos-containing materials and did not follow applicable asbestos regulations, leading to a possible release of asbestos fibers into the air. Inhaling asbestos fibers has been proven to cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure.
The DEQ also cited Rubenstein’s for accumulating asbestos-containing waste, as the subcontractors did not properly package and label the asbestos waste, which was disposed of in a garbage bin outside the school. No penalty was issued for this violation.
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