DEQ fines Metro Property Management for asbestos violations
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has fined Metro Property Management $20,800 for using unlicensed workers to perform asbestos abatement and not properly securing material containing asbestos. The company also disposed of the waste from the project at a facility that was not authorized to accept it.
In March, workers removed about 1,800 square feet of vinyl tile flooring containing asbestos from a vacant commercial property in the Umpqua Shopping Center at 1511 Highway Ave., Reedsport. Workers left the material on the floor inside the building, on the sidewalk and in an uncovered dumpster.
The abatement project didn’t comply with asbestos regulations and likely caused the release of asbestos fibers into the air, causing potential for public exposure. Asbestos fibers can cause respiratory diseases such as cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
The company has until June 22 to appeal the penalty.
https://www.oregon.gov/deq/nr/061416MetroProp.pdf
Contacts
Esther Westbrook, DEQ Environmental Law Specialist, Portland, 503-229-5374, westbrook.esther@deq.state.or.us
Martin Abts, Asbestos/Open Burn Specialist, Coos Bay, 541-269-2721 ext. 222, abts.martin@deq.state.or.us