By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – The Missouri Air Conservation Commission and the Department of Natural Resources are seeking sanctions against three businesses for demolishing buildings without properly inspecting for asbestos.
Two of the businesses are in the Kansas City area and the third in Perry County. The DNR's Travis Ford says they've contacted the business owners multiple times, but haven't gotten adequate responses.
"In most cases, commercial buildings, before they are demolished, require an asbestos inspection to be performed, and a demolition permit to be obtained from the DNR before the demolition can go forward...and those things did not happen in these cases," Ford said.
The companies have been referred to the Attorney General's office for potential legal action.
"Asbestos is a dangerous substance, and anytime you've got demolition of a structure that has asbestos in it, it can kick that material up into the air...that can endanger people on the job site, including workers and supervisors, as well as people who may be in nearby properties," Ford said.