University of Minnesota to Pay Fines for Asbestos Violations

The University of Minnesota has agreed to pay $60,000 in penalties for multiple asbestos violations. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) charged the school with two separate violations stating $5,000 is owed for each offense. The college has also agreed to pay an additional $50,000 for a fund to support on-campus studies to educate students and faculty on the dangers of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was popularly used in a number of industries from the turn of the century through the 1960s. The mineral is known for its fire resistance and insulation qualities. However, in the 1970s the government began to regulate the use of asbestos when it was discovered to be a health threat.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of dangerous diseases including asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, an often fatal lung cancer. Asbestos-related diseases are caused when the airborne fibers are inhaled and lodged into the soft tissue of the lungs. Symptoms of these diseases usually take twenty to fifty years to appear and by that time, many treatments fail.

The asbestos was found in the University’s student movie theater located in the Centennial Showboat. The MPCA found that the school did not remove 45 cubic yards of asbestos after the ship’s boiler was removed. Mark Rottenberg, University of Minnesota’s General Counsel, disagrees. He said the school hired a specialist to determine if the boat complied with asbestos regulations and that specialist did not do a thorough job. The school said since it was their property, they would agree to pay the fine.

The other violation was from debris left from buildings demolished in the 1940’s on the campus. Workmen found the asbestos-containing wall panels when clearing trees and brush from the area. Again the school contests their negligence but agreed to pay the fine because the university did not want to fight the charges any longer.