ASBESTOS REMOVAL LAWS

Vermont firm cited for violating EPA asbestos removal laws

October 20, 2009 - A flooring company from the town of South Barre, Vt., has been cited by the Environmental Protection Agency for violating environmental laws on asbestos removal and remediation.

The company, Morrison-Clark, Inc., was hired to remove and dispose floor tiles at the Main Street Middle School in Vermont’s capitol city of Montpelier.

Inspectors with the state worker safety bureau found that the company did not follow proper procedures while disposing vinyl asbestos floor tiles. The mismanaged disposal caused the school to be shut down for several weeks.

DOH report cites asbestos removal laws

Vermont Department of Health (DOH) officials ordered the school to be closed in July, 2008, when inspectors saw Morrison-Clark crews employing mechanical tile chippers to cut out the asbestos tiles.

According to their report, Morrison-Clark did not provide sufficient ventilation or adequate safety gear for its workers who handled and disposed the asbestos. The report expressed concern that using such devices as tile chippers could cause the asbestos fibers bound in the tile to become airborne.

Health authorities have long maintained that workers who regularly inhale airborne asbestos fibers can contract anyone of a variety of asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis or mesothelioma.

Morrison-Clark reportedly faces severe fines of more than $30,000 a day. A representative for Morrison-Clark said that company leaders have requested a hearing with federal environmental officials to contest the charges.

Time to seek justice

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is most often the result of asbestos exposure on jobs – and usually contracted through a company’s preference for profits over the health and safety of its workers.

If you have been diagnosed with occupational mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify our firm through communication form on this page. We will seek maximum compensation for your claim to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Please know, because our firm works on a contingency basis, there is no cost to you until we obtain a verdict or a settlement in your favor.