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U.S. EPA settles cases against two Brea companies for asbestos violations

Release Date: 9/29/2005
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815, Cell: (213) 798-1404, Main press line: (415) 947-8700

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today fined Tri Span, Inc. and CST Environmental, Inc. $4,675 each for their alleged violations of federal regulations concerning asbestos.

In August and September 2004, Tri Span, an asbestos removal contractor operating out of Brea, Calif., removed and disposed of approximately 34,586 square feet of asbestos-containing material from a commercial building in Riverside, Calif. Similarly, from March through August 2004, CST Environmental, another asbestos removal contractor operating out of Brea, Calif., removed approximately 966,664 square feet of asbestos-containing material from the ABC Entertainment Center in Century City, Calif.

The asbestos-containing material included acoustic ceiling material, mastic, linoleum, and insulation at the Riverside site and fire-proofing, stucco, mastic, floor tiles, transite, and roofing at the Century City site. Contrary to federal law, both Tri Span and CST Environmental separately failed to require or provide for the proper training of one their employees who participated in the asbestos removal.

"Because of its potential for endangering the health of the public and employees alike, asbestos removal demands the utmost care and specialized training. Companies that provide asbestos removal services must ensure that their employees are properly trained" said Enrique Manzanilla, director of the EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division in the Pacific Southwest Region.

According to the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, employees conducting asbestos removal activities at public or commercial buildings must be accredited prior to conducting asbestos abatement. Similarly, asbestos removal contractors who conduct asbestos removal activities at public or commercial buildings must ensure that all their employees participating in such projects have the required accreditation or else face civil monetary penalties.

For more information on asbestos and related issues, please visit EPA's webpage at:
https://www.epa.gov/asbestos