In Anchorage, Alaska, a local contractor has been fined just over $5,000 after violating asbestos regulations. The contractor, Coldfoot Environmental Services Inc., has agreed to pay a $5,100 fine. In addition, Coldfoot Environmental will also complete a community service project as part of their plan to settle an EPA complaint relating to violations of federal asbestos regulations.

Asbestos regulations are tied to the federal Clean Air Act, and there are a whole host of asbestos-related regulations that contractors must abide by.

Asbestos violations are a matter of public health and safety. Asbestos is often found in older buildings, particularly as fireproofing, pipe or boiler insulation, or as a component of materials like textured paints, adhesives, or floor tiles. Exposure to asbestos has serious health risks. Those exposed to asbestos have an elevated risk of developing lung problems like asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, affects roughly 3,000 new people each year in the United States. Mesothelioma is linked almost exclusively to asbestos exposure.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Coldfoot Environmental Services failed to notify inspectors who visited three demolition sites throughout the state. Without notification, the EPA was unable to carry out timely inspections. The three sites involved were the Harborview Hospital in Valdez and two warehouses in Valdez and Juneau. Coldfoot will remove asbestos insulation from a boiler and piping in a building owned by the Out North arts group in Anchorage as part of their act of contrition. The project is valued at nearly $15,000.

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