EPA Fines Vermont Flooring Contractor for Improper Handling of Asbestos

A Vermont flooring company faces of a penalty for failing to follow federal guidelines pertaining to removal and disposal of asbestos building materials.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Morrison-Clark, Inc., of South Barre,Vermont violated federal asbestos removal regulations when workers removed a vinyl asbestos tile floor from Main Street Middle School in Montpelier in July 2008. The company did not provide advance notice to EPA, failed to wet the asbestos while stripping it and did not properly dispose of the materials, EPA alleged in announcing the penalty this month.

The company faces a penalty of up to $32,500 per day for the alleged violation so the asbestos removal regulations.

The federal Clean Air Act and the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutant, require contractors doing renovation work to follow certain inspection requirements prior to starting work and to follow specific work and waste disposal practices. The guidelines are designed to protect workers and the public from inhaling airborne asbestos fibers.

Breathing asbestos can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdominal cavity.

Earlier this year, researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported that the overall annual deaths from mesothelioma in the U.S. are still increasing, though the rate as a portion of the population has been stable in recent years. More than 18,000 deaths from mesothelioma were reported in the U.S from 1999 to 2005, researchers reported.

Although asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, it is still imported and a substantial amount of asbestos in buildings eventually must be removed. An estimated 1.3 million American construction workers and general industry workers are exposed to asbestos, researchers say, underscoring the need for efforts to minimize exposure.

In the case of the Vermont school, EPA said it was not aware of any specific harm or exposure to airborne asbestos caused by the renovation.