The Kansas department of corrections is being investigated by the EPA in connection with an asbestos abatement project they oversaw at the Topeka prison several years ago in 2005. Asbestos abatement must be performed by specially licensed contractors according to state and federal laws, but workers and inmates who witnessed the 2005 abatement project claim that properly licensed professionals were not used, and that the working conditions were very hazardous. During the years after the 2005 project, follow up asbestos abatement projects were conducted for which there exists evidence that the proper contractors were used. The potential trouble for the Kansas department of corrections lies in the fact that they can’t produce such evidence for the 2005 project.
The reason that asbestos abatement is required by law to be performed by licensed professionals is because of the serious health hazard that the substance poses to workers or building inhabitants. Among other risks, exposure to asbestos fibers has been positively linked to the development of mesothelioma, an aggressive and terminal cancer. When an individual is exposed to asbestos fibers, the tiny, needle like particles pass through the respiratory or digestive tract and become lodged in a soft tissue known as the mesothelium. After years or even decades of lying dormant, the scarring caused in the mesothelium can develop into malignant tumors.
According to the workers and inmates who were at the Topeka prison during the 2005 abatement project, the amount of asbestos dust in the workplace was very far from a safe level. The workers claim that they were instructed to handle and dispose of asbestos contaminated debris with simple implements like shovels and brooms, and that they were not provided with sufficient safety equipment. The amount of asbestos dust in the workplace was described by some of those who were present as “horrendous”. Some workers remarked that their clothes were completely coated in dust and that the building’s furnace filter became clogged repeatedly. Additionally, the asbestos contaminated debris was allegedly disposed in regular collection dumpsters, which could mean that garbage collection personnel were also placed at risk.
EPA investigators conducted some research at the facility earlier this year to determine to what extent the allegations were true. They have since released their findings to federal attorneys. As of yet, no legal action has been taken against the Kansas department of corrections.
