November 24th, 2007

Multiple asbestos violation fines were handed out this week by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection agency. Three different apartment buildings were found to have violated asbestos protection laws.

Three separate cases of asbestos violations resulted in fines this week after tenants of apartment buildings brought forth concerns over the deadly material. In one building it was found that asbestos-containing sealants had been removed while replacing windows. The second building was fined when a new boiler was installed; the previous boiler had been insulated with asbestos, which was left in the basement. The third happened when water pipes were replaced and the insulation and old piping was left in the open.

Each of the cases could have posed a health threat, since disturbed asbestos can cause respiratory illnesses. Asbestos exposure has been known to lead to asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma, a form of deadly lung cancer. When asbestos is disturbed, it breaks into tiny particles that can be inhaled and becomes trapped in the lungs. This results in mesothelioma, which is often times terminal at the time of detection. Though the EPA does not think that any residents were in danger, the longer people are exposed to asbestos the higher the chance of contracting an asbestos-related illness.