Asbestos mishandling leads to Oregon construction company's fines

Pendleton, OR – An Oregon construction company has been issued a fine for failing to properly remove asbestos on one of its jobs.

MRDS Construction has been fined $10,200 by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for releasing some asbestos in the air during its demolition project at an abandoned home. MRDS, which operates primarily out of Eastern Oregon, does not have an asbestos abatement license, although the company has performed some asbestos removal work in the past. The DEQ said that it is a serious violation of the state’s environmental laws for an unlicensed contractor to do such work.

The Oregon DEQ charged MRDS with releasing airborne fibers when workers dropped and broke apart cement boards that contained asbestos material. Nathan Stader, the MRDS Business Manager, responded to the allegations in a nine-page statement in which he admitted that the company did not successfully complete the job according to all safety requirements. Mr. Stader apologized to the DEQ for the incident and stated that MRDS Construction’s actions were not intentional. He also added that the company has had zero environmental issues in its five-year history.

MRDS Construction is appealing the penalty and plans to have an informal discussion with DEQ officials next week. The company has paid $9,300 to hire Tektoniks Corporation to properly remove the asbestos and has also paid the DEQ $1,600 in emergency notification fees.

Mr. Stader said this was good learning experience and has promised that the company will not perform asbestos removal work in the future.

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