Legal news report-Missouri mesothelioma cancer lawyers. St. Louis Fire District fined $70,000 for illegal asbestos dumping.
St. Louis, MO–St. Louis County fire district is accused, by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) http://www.dnr.mo.gov/index.html, of several asbestos-related violations. The DNR offered to settle the manner out of court with district officials for the sum of $70,000, as reported by the St. Louis Today. In 2008, St. Louis County, state and federal officials began investigating complaints stating the fire district authorities had removed and disposed of tiles illegally. The tiles may have potentially contained asbestos from the district’s 5,488-square-foot building located at 7100 Natural Ridge Road. The DNR inspectors, conducting the inspection, claim they were kicked out of the building for looking into the allegations.
The DNR Inspectors conducting the inspections at the St. Louis fire district’s administration building found numerous violations involving the handling of asbestos related materials and for allegedly blocking investigators from conducting their inspection. The district reportedly has until July 21 to respond the settlement offer before the matter is referred to the attorney general. The alleged violations, among other things, accuses the district of:
• Not allowing access to inspectors to conduct necessary inspections
• Failure to use a registered asbestos abatement contractor to remove asbestos-containing materials.
• Failure to inspect the premises for asbestos-containing materials prior to renovation or demolition.
• Neglecting to comply with asbestos emission-control procedures and waste-disposal standards.
The fire district denies the allegations, stating the air-quality studies conducted in the building showed there was no asbestos fibers in the building’s air. The district further asserts they have the Fourth Amendment right to refuse unreasonable searches of its administrative offices. Asbestos containing products can cause harmful and fatal diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma lung cancer.
Legal new report for Missouri mesothelioma cancer lawyers.