Scrap metal company fined for asbestos violations
ALCS, Inc. is a South Carolina scrap metal company that has been fined $54,937 by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for multiple violations of state asbestos regulations. ALCS was performing interior demolition at a former ice cream plant in Southborough back in July 2008. The Southborough Fire Department filed a complaint about the illegal asbestos removal activities after responding to a call about an electrical explosion on the property.
An investigation concluded that asbestos insulation was being removed dry without any air filtration or work area containment in place. The demolition was halted, and the owners were required to hire a licensed asbestos contractor to safely remove, package and dispose of the asbestos waste, as well as to decontaminate the area and the dumpster that had been used previously.
MassDEP cited ALCS for failing to provide advance notice of the demolition activities; improperly handling and removing asbestos-containing materials; improperly handling, packaging, storing and disposing of asbestos waste; and allowing asbestos-containing materials to be handled in such a way as to cause or contribute to air pollution at the site.
The negotiated settlement will suspend $39,937 of the assessed penalty if ALCS has no further violations for a year. Asbestos regulations are put in place for safety reasons, and violating them potentially exposes workers, tenants and the public to a toxic substance that is known to cause cancer.
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