By Janice Pennington on August 31, 2009
Tektoniks Corporation, based in Walla Walla, Washington, will pay a $2,400 fine for illegally removing asbestos containing vinyl flooring from two separate job sites in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality levied the fine against Tektoniks after the company performed the asbestos removal without obtaining the proper state-issued license.
States require that a license be obtained to perform asbestos abatement work because the job can be dangerous, both to workers and to those in the area. Asbestos is hazardous when it is removed because the substance becomes friable, meaning that its fibers are released into the surrounding breathing space. Once airborne, the tiny asbestos fibers may be inhaled and permanently fixed in the lungs. Even relatively brief exposures to asbestos may cause mesothelioma, a painful cancer that is always fatal. (more…)
By Janice Pennington on August 24, 2009
Mesothelioma is an asbestos related cancer that is difficult to diagnose because it takes decades to develop and even then, its symptoms mimic those of diseases that are far more common and less serious. Once the disease has progressed to the point that doctors are able to diagnose it, the cancer is virtually impossible to treat. Given these difficulties, researchers are very encouraged by the recent discovery of a new test that may help to identify the disease earlier and with less invasive means. Scientists at Oxford University in England published their findings in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (more…)
By Janice Pennington on August 19, 2009
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has announced the recipients of the Small Repair Grant Program. Created and funded by the Washington State Legislature, the grant program gives immediate assistance to state school districts to address problems such as asbestos abatement and removal, fire and building code hazards, unforeseen health and safety risks, and insufficient access for disabled students. The program was supported in the state Senate by our own former Senator Brian Weinstein, now with Bergman, Draper & Frockt. A total of 39 Washington state school districts are slated to receive grants of no more than $100,000. The selection process was competitive, with 120 applications filed. The 47 projects that were chosen will share approximately $3 million in grant money. (more…)
By Adam McRoberts on August 10, 2009
Oregon State University’s Gill Coliseum is in the midst of a $7 million renovation that started with a major asbestos abatement. After the old asbestos was removed from the structure, work began to remove lead paint. Now, workers have started to repaint the 40,000-square foot exterior of the 60 year old landmark. Work is expected to be complete this winter. (more…)
By Janice Pennington on August 3, 2009
Residents living in Spokane, Washington near the former site of W.R. Grace’s Vermiculite Northwest are having their yards tested for the presence of asbestos. Chemists and engineers with the United States Environmental Protection Agency are conducting the testing with state-of-the-art equipment that can detect the dangerous fibers at lower levels than the last time such testing took place in Spokane. (more…)
