El Centro, Calif. firm pays $9,027 for federal asbestos violations

LOS ANGELES – A firm based in El Centro, Calif. has agreed to pay $9,027 for demolishing a structure without notifying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as required by federal Clean Air Act asbestos regulations.

CT EL Centro, LLC, owner of a property located at 1523 W. Main Street in El Camino, and its contractor, Action Environmental Enterprises, Inc., failed to notify the EPA of a demolition taking place at said location as required under the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations.

“When a building is demolished, asbestos must be properly removed in order to protect the health of the public and immediate community,” said Deborah Jordan, director of the EPA’s Air Division for the Pacific Southwest. “Appropriate regulatory agencies must be notified in advance so they can ensure that the required safeguards are in place.”

The EPA has classified asbestos, a known carcinogen, as a hazardous air pollutant. Individuals exposed to asbestos fibers are at risk of contracting illnesses such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.

For more information on asbestos, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html