December 16, 2013 – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) takes asbestos violations seriously, and even other government organizations are held to their stringent standards. The U.S. Department of Energy is now facing heavy fines for failing to uphold those standards at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State. The defunct plant was used during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, producing the plutonium used in both the first nuclear bomb and the bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.
The EPA alleges that the Department of Energy is responsible for asbestos removal violations committed during demolition in 2009 and 2010. The DOE is being fined a total of $115,000, $85,000 of which is due to improperly labeling asbestos removal trucks. The asbestos debris was sent to the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility, where employees may have been exposed to the dangerous mineral. Fines were also imposed for soil contamination around the site.
Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used extensively in construction until the 1970s. The Hanford site featured a number of asbestos-containing materials, including cement asbestos board siding, paneling throughout the complex, and parts of a large water tower on the property. If these materials were not removed properly, they may have released asbestos fibers into the environment. The DOE was given 15 days to respond to the EPA’s allegations.
Call the Philadelphia Asbestos Attorneys at Shein Law with Questions about Possible Asbestos Exposure
The asbestos attorneys at Shein Law are knowledgeable about asbestos and its deadly consequences. We have represented victim of asbestos exposure in the Philadelphia region for over 30 years. If you or a loved one is suffering from an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, call our law offices at 1-877-SHEINLAW (743-4652) or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced asbestos attorneys. We understand that this is a difficult time, and we will handle your case with compassion and care. With offices conveniently located in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, we help asbestos exposure victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.