Crews Demolish Asbestos Homes, Neighbors Not Warned

Kimberly Koehler dropped everything when a neighbor called her to report a plume of dust after a construction crew demolished a house in their Portland, Oregon, subdivision. Koehler, an Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association board member, immediately went to the site and confronted one of the workers. She demanded proof the house was asbestos-free. When he failed to produce any documentation, she immediately contacted the state agency that oversees worker safety. Within two hours, investigators isolated the site and began sampling for asbestos contamination that later tested positive. The demo crew consisted of four men, all without respirators. The state levied heavy fines on the construction company as well as the homebuilder who contracted the demolition. The incident r...

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