Springfield, IL – Lisa Bonnett, the Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has recently referred enforcement action to the office of the IL Attorney General against P Mills LLC. According to the EPA, the company caused, threatened, or allowed the emission of hazardous asbestos fibers into the air and thus polluted the environment.
P Mills is the company that owns former Pillsbury Mills Complex located in Springfield, Illinois.
The site owners are now preparing structures for tearing down. In the referral, IL EPA requests the AG to seek an AIO (Agreed Interim Order) for including the remediation expectations of the state and protect the worksite for ensuring no additional works take place in tainted areas except by skilled persons who are licensed to perform such activities.
According to the IL EPA, it got a complaint regarding an illegal removal of dangerous asbestos materials taking place at the site at issue. The investigators with the IL EPA visited the worksite on 5th August and found that the site was secure and no activity was taking place. The inspectors came back to the worksite on 6th August and noticed workers there. The inspectors conducted a partial inspection and found proof of improper and illegal removal of asbestos materials.
Arrangements were then made with the attorney of the property owner for the worksite to be open for follow-up inspection on 7th August, 2015. The inspectors of the IL EPA reached the site on 7th August and conducted an extensive inspection, documenting the areas where asbestos products were disturbed, and collected samples.
The inspection conducted by the IL EPA identified a number of breaches of the state and federal violations. Through its referral, the state agency is seeking instant enforcement action against P Mills LLC and right remediation of the worksite. The IL EPA expects an authorized project designer to design as well as submit a program for determining the scope of contamination and the procedures and ways to be utilized for remediating asbestos contamination linked to improper asbestos abatement and disposal activities at the worksite. An authorized asbestos removal contractor should also be retained for implementing the program.
Asbestos is a strictly regulated material in the United States because exposure to it could result in devastating medical conditions including cancer. Violation of asbestos regulations could result in hefty penalties and/or imprisonment.
