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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 1998
98-034
Contact: Jani Gilbert, Public Information Officer, (509) 458-0839
Donna Smith, Air Quality Inspector, (509) 454-7660
Sue Billings, Air Quality Supervisor, (509) 575-2586
KLICKITAT- The owner of a sawmill in Klickitat County has been fined $20,300 because asbestos materials were not handled properly before part of the mill was demolished. The state Department of Ecology issued the penalty to Gary Engman, of TimberCreek Associates, Inc., the owner of the Klickitat Mill (formerly the Champion Mill).
The mill’s powerhouse building thermal system insulation contains asbestos on some of the pipes. Materials in and around the boilers are also suspected of containing asbestos. On June 23, 1997 the roof was removed from the powerhouse structure, exposing the asbestos to the effects of the weather.
"Asbestos that is exposed to weather can become airborne, and people might breathe it," said Sue Billings, Ecology’s air program supervisor in Yakima. "Asbestos can cause cancer, and mismanaging it is a very serious matter."
Federal and state laws require that companies must inspect structures for the presence of asbestos before demolition. In addition, the building owner must inform the Department of Ecology of his or her intent to demolish a structure. If asbestos is present, it must be removed prior to demolition. Engman satisfied none of these requirements.
"We are especially concerned that the demolition site is located near a school, homes and businesses," Billings said
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used as a component of construction material. Materials that contain asbestos are often covered with a hard coating called "encapsulant." The encapsulant helps keep the asbestos from entering the environment.
The material that encapsulates the asbestos was not designed to withstand the effects of weather such as cold temperatures or precipitation. Air quality inspectors have verified that the encapsulating material has been damaged. Additional risk of exposure may have been created when the powerhouse, sawmill, and log pond dam were damaged in a fire on Feb. 8, 1998.
The exact amount of asbestos in the powerhouse is unknown because the property owner did not conduct the inspections that are required by law. Failure to remove asbestos from the site could expose the community to a long-term public health risk. For information about the health effects of asbestos, community members may contact the Klickitat County Health District at (509)773-4565
Engman may appeal this penalty to the Pollution Control Hearings Board.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
