University of Minnesota Agrees to Asbestos Fine

The University of Minnesota (U of M) has agreed to pay $60,000 for two asbestos violations which occurred in 2007, even though university officials deny any responsibility for the occurrences.

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, or MPCA, the first violation happened on board the Centennial Showboat, a dry-docked vessel which serves as a theater venue for University students.

Last summer, in an effort to salvage the vessel, a boiler was dismantled. The 45 cubic yards of asbestos, used to seal various pipes, was removed without proper wetting, containment or disposal. As a result, university students and the 13,000 Minnesota residents who attended the theater productions were exposed.

U of M General Counsel Mark Rotenberg disputes the charges, saying the landowner hired a certified asbestos removal specialist to do the work, and subsequently hired a specialist to determine that the removal was in compliance with state and federal asbestos removal standards.

Asbestos fibers, when inhaled, cause lung lesions which lead to a number of diseases, most notably mesothelioma - an almost incurable form of cancer that often doesn't manifest for three or more decades. Victims of mesothelioma commonly die within a year or two of diagnosis.

Asbestos exposure as low as 2 parts-per-million (ppm) can cause these lesions, and asbestos is most dangerous during removal, when the fibers are released by accidentally breaking up asbestos-containing materials. Federal safety standards mandate keeping asbestos wet to prevent the release of these fibers until the product is properly disposed of and the removal area monitored for particulates.

According to Rotenberg, the U of M is not responsible for the fact that neither the contractor nor the specialist did their jobs correctly. In spite of that, U of M officials agreed to pay the fine "...because they didn't think it was worth arguing about any further".

As part of the agreement between U of M and the MPCA, the university will pay two fines of $5,000 each for the Showboat violation and a subsequent violation at UMore Park, where asbestos panels from a 1940s building demolition ended up being crushed as workers removed trees and brush from an 8,000-acre research site in Rosemount the university owns.

U of M has also agreed to contribute an additional $50,000 to an on-campus asbestos research project aimed at mitigating environmental hazards. According to Rotenberg, the fines and contribution will come out of the university's general fund.

Rotenberg added that the fines will have minimal impact, since the university has seldom been fined for asbestos or other environmental health violations.

To receive a FREE Mesothelioma Web information packet** or to make a request, please fill out the following form :

**For a FREE information packet including treatments, clinical trials, and specialists, please complete the form above or call a Mesothelioma Web coordinator at 1-877-367-6376.

News

Resources

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here

If you would like to receive a FREE information packet or have questions about mesothelioma, call us at:

Toll-Free 1-877-367-6376