MassDEP fines Leominster company $14K
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is demanding a Leominster asbestos removal contractor pay a previously suspended $14,312.50 penalty after it found the company violated state asbestos regulations twice in one year.
A & E Environmental was fined $19,312.50 in May 2014 after MassDEP found it violated asbestos removal protocol at a residential building in Millbury, according to a release from MassDEP. At the time, MassDEP collected $5,000 of the penalty and suspended the rest of the charges under the condition that A & E not violate any more of its requirements for a year.
However, on Dec. 30, 2014, MassDEP found A & E failed to properly seal a work area and that they didn’t use a HEPA-filtered air ventilation system to control asbestos fibers at a job on Lake Street in Shrewsbury, according to a release from MassDEP. MassDEP immediately ordered the A & E workers to fix the violations at the time of the inspection, and asked the company to pay the remaining $14,312.50 of its initial penalty.
Sealing off the work area and having the proper air filtration equipment is essential in protecting buildings, the workers in them, and others from exposure to asbestos, according to a press release. MassDEP also has to be notified 10 days in advance of any asbestos removal work, so the agency can properly inspect the area.
Failure to comply with MassDEP’s requirements could lead to significant penalties, including potential licensing sanctions.
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