Hewlett Packard has been fined $9,600 by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for contracting an unlicensed company to remove asbestos from a building on the Corvallis campus. The cleanup began in July of 2010 when the company began to remove carpet from a commercial structure. During the removal procedure, company employees disturbed underlying asbestos tile.
Because Hewlett Packard owns the building, it is their responsibility to ensure asbestos is properly handled and disposed of. The broken tiles likely resulted in the release of airborne asbestos, which can cause mesothelioma and other health problems. The company has chosen not to appeal the decision, and they are now discussing paying part of their penalty as a Supplement Environmental Project.
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