Mass. company fined for asbestos violations

Environmental Source Corp. of Lawrence, Massachusetts has been fined $18,137 by the Mass. Dep’t of Environmental Protection for asbestos violations during the company’s removal of asbestos siding from a home. When the Mass. DEP responded to a complaint, officials found broken asbestos materials lying on the ground.

When asbestos products are broken or disturbed, they can release fibers in the air where they can be inhaled and cause serious diseases like mesothelioma. For this reason, when asbestos-containing materials are removed or disturbed, the area is to be closed off, the materials wetted down to avoid creating dust and immediately placed in closed containers. These procedures, required by state asbestos regulations, were not followed by Environmental Source Corp. in this case.

If the company avoids any repeat violations for a period of one year, $8,637 of the assessed fine may be suspended.

For the full story, go to Westborough News.