By Paula Brewer
Special to the Aroostook Republican
CARIBOU, Maine — A local businessman has paid a $7,500 fine to resolve asbestos violations incurred during cleanup of a Bennett Drive property.
Dana Cassidy of Caribou was cited in a recent Maine Department of Environmental Protection enforcement report for violating asbestos management regulations by cleaning up an area containing asbestos without proper licensure or disposal. According to Jamie Tansey of the MDEP’s Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, a flood had occurred at a property at 124 Bennett Drive.
“During that flood some floor tiles were loosened up due to standing water,” said Tansey. In response, Cassidy removed the floor tiles, bagged them up and was going to dispose of them. Department officials were informed of the situation and met with Cassidy, following which the violations were determined.
Tansey said a licensed asbestos contractor must handle such disposals, and Cassidy “simply didn’t meet the requirements when he removed the floor tiles.”
Cassidy explained Monday that the furnace went out at that location and the sprinkler system came on and flooded the place. “The tiles lifted; they saturated,” he said. The police department and water and sewer officials contacted him to clean up the area.
“Under direction of the insurance company, you have to mitigate,” he added, “and I cleaned it up.”
According to Cassidy, the floor tiles contained less than 1 percent asbestos. “The DEP said I did wrong, I paid it [the fine], and that was it,” he added.
Tansey also noted that following payment of the $7,500 civil monetary penalty, the situation is now resolved.
Among the state’s asbestos management regulations are that written notification must be given of any abatement activity; a certified asbestos management contractor must be designated as the lead supervisor of such activity; a containment area must be posted; all personnel involved must wear personal protective equipment; waste must be contained in fiber-tight, leak-proof packaging and labeled; and individuals involved in the abatement work must complete personal decontamination including removal of clothing and footwear and thorough cleanup, as well as isolation of contaminated clothing.
Specifics in the MDEP’s enforcement report included that Cassidy engaged in asbestos management without being licensed or certified; failed to notify the department in writing of intent to engage in asbestos abatement; failed to have an asbestos project supervisor; failed to post asbestos warning signs; failed to wear personal protective equipment; failed to contain asbestos waste in proper packaging; and failed to comply with personal decontamination procedures.
