Asbestos Violations

A Texas contractor working on the demolition of base housing at New Mexico’s former White Sands Missile Range will most likely be cited by the state Environment Department for failure to notify them before demolishing buildings that contained dangerous asbestos.

An article in New Mexico Business Weekly states that Border Demolition and Environmental Inc. was hired by White Sands to clean up asbestos waste uncovered by another contractor at the former base in the southern portion of New Mexico. However, the company failed to let the New Mexico Environment Department know that the work was taking place and failed to account for the whereabouts of several bags of asbestos waste from the project.

According to Jim Norton, division director of the Environmental Protection Division, the managers at White Sands and the contractors from Border Demolition were aware of the presence of concrete asbestos pipe at the project site but failed to inform the department of its presence. Such notification is required by state law and the state would need to give its nod of approval before demolition could begin at any site that contains asbestos, Norton explains.

Border Demolition and Environmental may receive a fine of up to $15,000 per day for failure to file the proper required notice and up to $5,000 per day for solid waste violations for failing to account for the missing bags of asbestos. White Sands and other contractors on the project also could face enforcement actions, the article explains. (Original article from http://www.maacenter.org)