December 9th, 2007

In what the Environmental Protection Agency is calling one of the “worst asbestos violations ever,” an Arizona city, its administrator and a building owner are being held liable for public endangerment.

The EPA released a report this week that an Arizona city official and building owner completed one of the worst asbestos violations on record. The city and city official disregarded laws restricting the removal, containment and disposal of dangerous asbestos while removing it from nine apartment buildings slated for demolition. After four buildings were demolished, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality received complaints from residents in the city about the asbestos. The ADEQ told the developer and the city to halt demolition until tests could be completed. The order was ignored, the remaining buildings were torn down, and the asbestos was dumped in a local landfill or burned on public property.

The violation is a public safety concern due to the fact that all the actions taken could release hazardous asbestos fibers into the air. Breathing in asbestos fibers can result in emphysema, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a form of deadly lung cancer. Mesothelioma results from asbestos particles becoming stuck in the lungs and keeping the tissue from absorbing oxygen. The investigation against the three parties continues within the state of Arizona.