The residents of Marco Island in south-west Florida are still waiting for a clear explanation of what dangers, if any, they face as a result of a recent asbestos related incident. The United States Environmental Protection Agency informed the city and the responsible contractors of six infractions of asbestos regulations that were accumulated during efforts to rebuild a local roadway several years ago in 2006.
The violations included failure to remove asbestos before demolition took place, failure to properly dispose of asbestos and materials known to contain asbestos, failure to inspect the work site thoroughly for the dangerous substance, and a failure to have a toxic substance handling professional on-site that was properly trained in local and federal asbestos regulations.
Asbestos exposure is certainly good cause for concern. Accidentally inhaling or ingesting microscopic, airborne asbestos particles can cause a wide variety of health complications that may not be detectable until years or decades after exposure. Serious respiratory complications, asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have all been linked conclusively to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma, an aggressive and terminal cancer of the lining of the lungs, has in recent decades become recognized as a tragic industrial disease often due to negligent, irresponsible practices.
The asbestos found at the Marco Island incident, present as an additive to cement piping, was removed during renovation work to Collier Boulevard, one of the community’s highly trafficked roadways. The project’s primary contractor responsible for rebuilding the roadway, Quality Enterprises, was accused by the EPA alongside the city for failure to adhere to asbestos handling regulations.
The Marco Island City Council meeting that followed the incident drew a concerned crowd that volleyed question after question at the Marco City Manager and the council concerning the potential danger of asbestos contamination. These questions were left mostly unanswered or vaguely answered at best. It’s believed that the EPA’s concern was directed towards the Marcus Island highway reconstruction through an anonymous tip-off, and it appears that more concrete details are still in the process of slowly surfacing.
These types of incidents in which impossibly large asbestos slip-ups occur in high visibility projects are the cause of some concern for the EPA as well as state level Environmental and Health agencies. While state and federal regulations concerning the safe handling and proper disposal of asbestos are fairly tight, enforcing the rules consistently and even ensuring that companies are working to adhere to them is a difficult process. In most states, only a tiny fraction of asbestos related work is actually audited by city or federal, leaving a huge opportunity for sloppy practices and fraud.
