County Cited for Not Telling AQMD About Asbestos Work

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has cited Los Angeles County for violating provisions of the Federal Clean Air Act when removing asbestos from the old San Fernando Courthouse this spring.

The violation carries a maximum fine of $1,000.

The AQMD investigation was prompted by a Times article, which revealed that the county failed to notify the air district of the asbestos removal, as required by federal law.

Paul Aunchman, head of the air district’s enforcement division, said an air district inspector met last week with county officials, who confirmed that county workers removed more than 1,000 square feet of asbestos ceiling material and 130 feet of pipe insulation without notifying the air district. County officials told the investigator that they didn’t know about the regulation, Aunchman said.

“They essentially provided all the documentation and admitted that they had not notified us,” Aunchman said.

The county was required to notify the air district so air quality officials could ensure that workers followed procedures to prevent asbestos fibers, which can cause lung cancer, from being released into the atmosphere. If air district officials had discovered that fibers had been released, the county could have faced a $10,000 fine.

Aunchman said no air district inspectors visited the courthouse during the investigation because it was too late to determine whether fibers were released during the removal nearly two months ago.

County’s Oversight

Aunchman said he believes the county’s failure to notify the air district was an oversight--not a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny.

Brian Richards of the county’s Department of Internal Services said the investigation was a learning experience and added, “We’ll do business better next time.”

Meanwhile, officials of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA, are continuing their own investigation to determine whether workers followed appropriate procedures. That investigation was prompted by a complaint from a deputy city attorney who refused to enter the building after reading press reports of the asbestos project.

Cal/OSHA spokesman Rick Rice said he did not know how long the investigation would take because OSHA officials are still trying to locate workers involved in the project to interview them.