OHSU, contractor fined $37,600 for asbestos violations

State environmental regulators have fined Oregon Health & Science University and a prominent contractor it hired a total of $37,600 for violating asbestos regulations during renovations at OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Research Center.

The renovations took place in July 2016 at OHSUs Colony Annex, at 505 NW 185th Ave. in Beaverton. The violations likely released asbestos fibers into the air and exposed the public, the state Department of Environmental Quality said.

OHSU was fined $10,400 for hiring an unlicensed asbestos abatement contractor. It also was cited for failing to have an accredited inspector survey the facility for asbestos prior to the renovation.

The penalty was reduced because OHSU later hired a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to remove remaining asbestos at the facility, and decontaminated the Farmington Landfill in Aloha, where the asbestos had been taken.

The contractor, Aloha-based In Line Commercial Construction, was fined $27,200 for conducting an asbestos abatement project without being licensed to do so, and for disposing of asbestos-containing waste at the landfill, which was not authorized to accept it.

The company also was cited for failing to have an accredited inspector survey the building for asbestos before the renovation, and for storing asbestos containing waste in uncovered drop boxes at the facility.

In Line Commercial Construction has completed other major renovations for OHSU, including a remodel of the emergency room.

Asbestos fibers are known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, DEQ said. There is no safe level of exposure.

Both OHSU and the contractor were negligent, DEQ said.

OHSU has a facilities division responsible for overseeing its buildings and ensuring that renovations comply with safety and environmental regulations, and has hired licensed abatement contractors on numerous occasions, DEQ said.

OHSU has not decided whether to appeal the penalty, spokeswoman Tamara Hargens-Bradley said.

"We do hundreds of projects each year, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first accidental release of asbestos on OHSU property," she said. "Although we have robust asbestos management processes in place, as a result of this incident we have implemented new mitigation strategies, including increasing the number of construction inspectors overseeing our project work."

In Line Commercial Construction is a general contractor licensed by the Oregon Construction Contractors Board and is aware of asbestos requirements, DEQ said.

The construction company has appealed the penalty, vice president Trygve Berge said.

Berge said he was unable to comment further because the company’s contract with OHSU contains a confidentiality agreement.

tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or follow at Twitter.com/Tracy_Loew