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July 16, 2013
Portland, Oregon - Owners of an abandoned hotel on Hayden Island are facing nearly $29,000 in fines related to asbestos waste found on the property. The Thunderbird Hotel, located outside of Portland, Oregon, suffered from a catastrophic fire in September of last year.
Results from a 2006 assessment of the property found extensive asbestos products including flooring, ceiling tiles, insulation, fireproofing and roofing materials. After the assessment, the owners of the Thunderbird Hotel did not hire licensed asbestos abatement contractors before demolishing the burned structure. The unregulated asbestos abatement occurred immediately after the September fire in October and November.
As such, the untrained contractors did not abate the asbestos properly, leaving the asbestos waste uncovered on the property. Leaving the asbestos waste out in the open allowed the toxic material to seep into the air, creating a potentially deadly health hazard.
Though a natural material, asbestos is highly toxic and is considered a carcinogen akin to cigarette smoke. Exposure to asbestos fibers or contaminated air can lead to mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer and other serious lung diseases. In some cases, asbestos-related diseases can take decades to present symptoms after exposure.
The owners of the Thunderbird Hotel allegedly hired untrained contractors to handle the asbestos waste to save money on the total cost of the demolition. According to Ester Westbrook, spokesperson for Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality, the choice to have “workers do the demolition rather than having an asbestos abatement contractor come in and remove all of that asbestos – the companies saved around $8,000.”
The fire resulted in $17 million worth of damages and is considered a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Thunderbird Hotel LLC, owners of the derelict hotel, have until July 23 to pay the $29,028 fine or appeal the ruling of Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality. At this time, the owners of the hotel have not made a statement regarding the penalty.
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