AboutMesothelioma.Net

The United State Naval Station at Newport , Rhode Island and two companies have agreed to pay a penalty for alleged violations of the federal requirements for safe handling and disposal of asbestos during deolition activities, federal environmental regulators announced this week in a press release.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency complaint, the U.S. Naval Station, Goel Services, Inc., and A.A. Asbestos Co., Inc., each violated the Clean Air Act and the national air pollution standards when they conducted a demolition operation involving asbestos at the naval base in February 2009.

The asbestos regulations are designed to protect workers and the public from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Inhaling airborne asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen. Violations of federal asbestos regulations can pose significant health risks to the surrounding community as well as to workers conducting demolition or renovation operations.

EPA regulators alleged that the three parties failed to seal asbestos-containing waste in leak-tight containers while the material was wet. Under the settlement, the three parties must pay a $14,238 penalty and certify that they are operating in compliance with federal requirements. EPA previously had issued administrative orders to both the Newport Navy Base and A.A. Asbestos Abatement for failing to provide written notice to EPA before the work began.

The federal Clean Air Act and federal environmental regulation related to asbestos removal require owners and operators of demolition and renovation operations to inspect a facility before starting work and to comply with specific work and disposal practices for jobs involving regulated amounts of asbestos-containing materials.

© AboutMesothelioma.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the AboutMesothelioma.Net link.