Source: http://www.montereyherald.com, August 6, 2011
Two companies agreed to pay $110,000 in fines this week for asbestos violations stemming from a 2009 renovation project at Windsor Monterey Care Center.
The work involved scraping an asbestos-laden acoustic ceiling. The facility’s parent company was faulted for failing to conduct a federally required asbestos survey or to notify Cal-OSHA or the Monterey Bay Area Unified Air Pollution Control District before the project.
S&F Management Co. LLC, which oversaw the work, failed to protect workers. Because wet methods were not used, asbestos dust was released, increasing the workers’ risk for lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
Windsor ultimately hired an environmental firm to remediate the contamination and properly dispose of the hazardous waste.
Monterey County environmental prosecutor Dije Ndreu stressed the importance of conducting pre-demolition asbestos surveys, which are required of all facilities except residential buildings with four or fewer dwellings.