Montana Environmental Dept. Issues Large Asbestos Fines

January 29, 2007 - Frustrated about the disregard for important asbestos removal laws and non-payment of smaller fines for asbestos violations, Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says it will not hesitate to issue six-figure fines against contractors and others who violate Clean Air Act laws.

The DEQ recently enforced a penalty which exceeded $106,000 against a contractor who violated asbestos regulations while tearing down several buildings in Billings.  According to an Associated Press article in the Billings Gazette, the DEQ had agreed to settle its case against Paul Siewert for a “vastly lower sum,” but he was late with payments and missed a final deadline, so the agency says they’ve called off the deal.

The agency stated that Siewert did not obtain an asbestos-abatement permit, use an accredited contractor for asbestos work or use proper methods for removing asbestos-laced material, such as attic insulation. As a result, the DEQ said, any people in the area may have been exposed to dispersed asbestos, which can be inhaled and is associated with respiratory diseases.

Given the amount of negative publicity garnered by Libby, Montana-based W.R. Grace and Company vermiculite mine and the number of people the mine has sickened with asbestos diseases, it shocks DEQ officials that asbestos violations are so rampant in their state. 

According to DEQ asbestos specialist Pierre Amicucci, the compliance rate for asbestos-control requirements in Montana demolition and renovation projects is less than 10 percent.  

It is common for violators to claim that they were unaware of the regulations, Amicucci said.  "The regulations aren't new," Amicucci said. "They've been in place since 1990. We have contractors who are simply ignoring them."