The Oregon State Hospital in Salem has been fined more than $10,000 for asbestos violations, potentially stemming from a January 2007 incident that may have caused dangerous amphibole asbestos to be released into the air.
The situation occurred when a contractor was hired to install a new water line. As he dug, he hit an old asbestos-covered water pipe, reports the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
According to an article in the Statesman Journal, the DEQ reports that hospital administrators should have known about the asbestos, due in part to a 1990 geological survey that showed where hidden asbestos was located on the grounds of the hospital, which covers approximately 144 acres. However, the hospital failed to tell the contractor before he began to dig.
When DEQ representatives examined the work site, they found asbestos insulation in a pile of dirt and debris next to the excavated pit. The insulation material was determined to be “friableâ€Â, which means it was likely to release dangerous fibers into the air.
State hospital officials have said that January’s incident occurred about 200 feet from the nearest residential area. By all accounts, the asbestos materials were properly disposed after the DEQ’s inspection.
The fine, however, was levied because the hospital allowed asbestos to accumulate in the open and because they hired a contractor, Emery and Sons, that was not licensed to remove asbestos. The contractor has also been fined but they will contest the penalty, alleging that they were unaware of the presence of asbestos in the area in which they were installing the new line.
