Salem’s Abate Right fined $2,380 for asbestos violations

State environmental regulators have fined a Salem asbestos abatement company $2,380 for numerous violations of asbestos removal regulations.

Abate Right Inc. failed to submit notification and fees to DEQ within three days of starting work, as required, on three separate asbestos abatement projects.

DEQ uses project notifications to conduct compliance inspections.

The company failed to provide accurate information about the amount of asbestos to be removed on three more projects.

And it failed to submit final air clearance reports on four other asbestos abatement projects.  

Oregon requires air clearance testing for asbestos abatement projects where more than 160 square feet of asbestos-containing material is removed from within an enclosure.

That allows the agency to verify that projects meet DEQ standards of no more than 0.01 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter of air.

Asbestos fibers are known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. There is no safe level of exposure.

The company had until Sept. 6 to appeal the fine but did not do so, DEQ spokeswoman Katherine Benenati said.

Company officials did not respond to an interview request.

Abate Right was incorporated in April 2015 and licensed by the Oregon Construction Contractors Board in November 2015.

CCB had previously suspended the company’s license for lack of proof of liability insurance.

tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or follow at Twitter.com/Tracy_Loew

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