Epa may fine ohio city $30,000 for illegal asbestos handling

East Liverpool, Ohio â€" The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to issue a $30,000 fine against the city of East Liverpool as a penalty for improper removal and disposal of asbestos from a city building. Ohio EPA director Chris Korleski sent a letter to East Liverpool Mayor Jim Swoger indicating that the city has 14 days in which to respond with details of the city’s willingness to accept the EPA’s findings, recommendations, and fine, or to respond with suggested modifications. The incident that sparked the EPA’s fine came to light in May 2006, says Jim Swoger. The incident involved Street Department Supervisor Earl Taylor, who hired a contractor to remove asbestos-containing pipe insulation from unused water piping at a city-owned building. Around 500 linear feet of pipe insulation was removed from the building. Taylor buried the asbestos waste at a clean landfill site on property that the city also owned. Several days later, then-Service Safety Director William Cowan notified the Ohio EPA about the asbestos removal and disposal. As it turned out, both the removal and the disposal were illegal. The asbestos removal was carried out with the knowledge or consent of the Ohio EPA. The EPA’s findings also indicated that the removal did not adhere to the necessary safety standards. Removal of asbestos is a procedure that must be handled carefully to prevent the dispersion of asbestos dust and fibers. Breathing in even a small amount of dust can potentially cause cancer to develop three to five decades later. The risk of dispersing dust and fibers is high when removing asbestos, particularly insulation or older materials that are friable and prone to crumbling or breaking. To reduce the possibility of generating asbestos dust, a procedure known as wet removal must be carried out. This involves thoroughly wetting asbestos containing materials to prevent dust being dispersed. In addition to illegal removal of asbestos from the East Liverpool building, the asbestos that was removed was disposed of at a landfill site that was not equipped to safely handle asbestos waste. Several months later, workers from Cardinal Environmental Services cleaned up the remaining asbestos at the removal site, and cleaned up the landfill. The EPA’s proposed fine of $30,000 will be split. A proposed $24,000 will go to the EPA and $6,000 to the Ohio EPA’s Clean Diesel School Bus fund. The fund helps cover the cost of retrofitting school buses with equipment to reduce diesel emissions. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)