Posts Tagged Exposure
Widespread asbestos violations in Massachusetts schools
Posted by Marc@SokoloveLaw in Exposure on July 28, 2010
We’ve got another story out of Sokolove’s home state of Massachusetts — this time not quite as heartwarming.
Home of the original settlement from Europeans, many towns here in Massachusetts were founded in the early 1600s. While few of the buildings in this state date back that far, it is safe to say Massachusetts is home to many more aged structures than most other states.
This includes schools — many of which were built in the early twentieth century. With these aging structures comes the threat of widespread asbestos exposure for thousands of students, and a recent press release from the group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) highlights just how dangerous this problem really is.
PEER described non-compliance with federal asbestos regulations as “widespread” and recommends the Federal Government intervene to coordinate mass-abatement procedures.
Australian couple defies warnings to leave contaminated town
Posted by Marc@SokoloveLaw in Exposure on July 6, 2010
In a story a bit out of left field, an Australian news outlet profiles a couple who have decided to continue life in a former asbestos mining town that has been all but quarantined by the Australian government.
Mario Hartmann and Gail Malcom are one of only eight remaining residents in the barren Western Australian town of Wittenoom. Once a booming mining town in the 1950s and 1960s, Wittenoom attracted new residents to fill high-paying mining jobs. But the closure of the mine in 1966 amid concerns of asbestos’ toxicity commenced the town’s slow demise into its current state.
The town is no longer recognized by the government, after a massive cleanup attempt failed to lower asbestos levels in the area. Maps and road signs now warn travelers to keep windows closed and to stay in one’s vehicle when passing through, and the government has eliminated all basic services in the area – essentially rendering Wittenoom a ghost town.
But these dire warnings don’t seem to bother Hartmann and Malcom, the latter being the first person to move to the town in decades and subsequently meeting her future husband when everyone else seemed to be moving out. For them, it seems leaving the town they met was unthinkable – as they turned turn a government offer of $43,000 to move out.
California students unknowingly exposed to asbestos
Posted by Marc@SokoloveLaw in Exposure, Legal on June 15, 2010
In an incredible story out of Merced, Calif., the District Attorney announced charges have been filed against three construction workers for deliberately exposing teens to asbestos at a local construction site five years ago.
The group of high school students signed up for a hands-on experience to learn more about construction. However, instead of the usual hammer-and-nail or measure-and-cut exercise, the students were told to work on removing asbestos from a building being renovated on the site of the former Castle Air Force Base in Merced.
It is unclear from the video whether students were told they would be handling asbestos, but it is likely they were not – as supervisors neglected to give warn them of the dangers of what they were doing and failed to provide protective gear for the students.
A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s office said seven students have come forward, but more have been unknowingly exposed and need to be tracked down. Six more have called the office back since the story has gone public, yet more need to be found.
More asbestos removal problems in schools
Posted by Marc@SokoloveLaw in Exposure on June 14, 2010
Another instance of improper asbestos removal at a U.S. school is making news. This time, the incident occurred in Vermont’s state capital, Montpelier, where local flooring company Morrison-Clark, Inc., was accused in 2008 of improperly handling asbestos during a project at a local middle school.
With many of the schools around the country aging and in need of repair, it seems one of the stories we’re beginning to hear more often is about the problems with asbestos abatement in these schools – and, sometimes, the lengthy court battle that accompanies it.
The company admitted no wrongdoing and agreed to settle the case – paying $65,000 to the Montpelier School District. However, this amount was not enough to recoup the legal fees and extra costs the district incurred running tests and doing necessary clean-up work after health inspectors found Morrison-Clark’s workers to be in violation.
Asbestos violations found in three Arizona schools
Posted by Marc@SokoloveLaw in Exposure on June 10, 2010
Fined nearly $30,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency last week, three charter schools in Arizona were found guilty of not conducing initial asbestos inspections or developing an asbestos management plan.
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires regular inspection of U.S. schools. The act is a means of regulating, inspecting, cataloging and handling asbestos in all U.S. schools, and was put into law in 1986 to ensure the safety of public buildings from the dangers of asbestos exposure and that any asbestos material pre-existing is monitored and undamaged by renovations, age, or other circumstance.
The worst offender – Phoenix’s Cave Creek High School – failed to conduct ongoing inspections of its documented 12,580 square feet of asbestos material.
As long as asbestos is intact and not broken or exposed, the EPA considers the material safe. However, if asbestos products have been disturbed or tampered with, the risk of asbestos exposure increases exponentially. This highly increases the chances of inhalation, indirectly leading the mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis and lung cancer.
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