April 19th, 2008

An abandoned condo building in Montana is accumulating asbestos fines against its developer as the building moves towards action. The developer ignored an initial asbestos fine last year, and can now be facing millions of dollars in violations.

A developer that owns an abandoned condo building in Montana may be facing millions of dollars in fines for asbestos violations within the building. The out-of-state developer responded to the first fine last year, stating that he was not aware of Montana’s asbestos laws. He has not paid the fine, and has not followed instructions to properly rid the building of asbestos. If the judge rules in favor of the violations filed by the Department of Environmental Quality the developer could be facing millions of dollars in penalties for ignoring the initial fines and violations.

The initial fine came after renovations were taking place within the building in 2006 and 2007. The violations state that the developer was improperly handling and removing asbestos from the condo building, potentially putting the public at risk of asbestos exposure. When asbestos is mishandled or removed by untrained workers, the material can break apart and become airborne. Breathing in asbestos fibers has been known to cause mesothelioma, emphysema and asbestosis. Mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer, can lay dormant for years. The building is to be auctioned off in April.