CONTACT:
William Omohundro, (312) 353-8254
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Chicago, IL – July 28, 2003
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with three Ohio companies on alleged violations of federal regulations on asbestos, a hazardous air pollutant. EPA assessed a total penalty of $26,000.
The companies are CVS Corp., 1920 Enterprise Parkway, Twinsburg; Skilken Properties Co., 910 E. Broad St., Columbus; and Darby Creek Excavating Inc., 6790 Brooksmiller Road, Circleville.
The alleged violations took place at a demolition site at 6659 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, Ohio, which CVS had bought to build a drugstore. Skilken Properties was the developer of the property, and Darby Creek Excavating was hired for demolition.
EPA filed administrative complaints against the companies in 2002. Allegations included failure to perform a thorough inspection of the property for asbestos, provide proper notifications to the state of Ohio, remove all regulated asbestos-containing material before demolition, and properly dispose of asbestos-containing waste.
Asbestos is a known cancer-causing substance that can cause mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer, and asbestosis, a lung disease, many years after exposure.
