The city of Commerce, Texas has filed a lawsuit against a Louisiana property management company that alleges they improperly disposed of asbestos debris from an apartment complex they owned. The city of Commerce has filed the multi-million dollar suit against Fountainbleau Management of New Orleans alleging illegal asbestos disposal following a 2008 fire at the company’s Live Oak Apartments. An independent analysis by a Dallas company after the blaze found that the complex contained asbestos in ceilings, walls, and tiles.
Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral fiber was, for years, used in construction products for its tensile strength and fireproofing qualities. Unfortunately, when disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers can be inhaled and become embedded in one’s lungs. This has the potential to cause health problems including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
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Asbestos can cause such dangerous health problems that special care must be taken in its removal and disposal from construction sites. The city of Commerce estimated that it would have cost Fountainbleau Management more than $80,000 to dispose of the asbestos debris from the fire and maintains that the company did not follow the proper environmental regulations in order to save money. Commerce accuses Fountainbleau of putting asbestos debris in public trash dumpsters and burying more in a hole behind the property.
Commerce officials have stated that a tip led to their discovery of the buried asbestos. Testing is being performed to determine if the asbestos has possibly affected groundwater near the burial site and a criminal investigation is underway in the matter.
Have you or someone you know been exposed to asbestos and potential health problems? An asbestos attorney may be able to help.