Oregon state environmental officials have started to look for ways to expand state controls over asbestos mesothelioma prevention during demolition work.

Stories by media outlets in Oregon prompted this move, revealing flaws in demolition practices that could potentially expose the public to asbestos, and even cause asbestos mesothelioma cancer.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Quality, Jennifer Flynt, says that they are open to any solution that can improve the current program. For instance, the agency has asked state attorneys whether or not Oregon has any legal authority to demand paperwork from contractors prior to tearing down a building.

Current rules require only providing documentation if there is a planned asbestos removal during demolition, which does not factor in any structures that may contain asbestos without a contractor’s knowledge, or buildings that the contractor is not planning to remove asbestos from.

Regulators of other states report that requiring notice from contractors is essential in the protection of the public from asbestos exposure. A building with asbestos that is torn down can release asbestos fibers into the air, which puts both workers and the public at risk.

According to The Oregonian, contractors removed asbestos from only a small portion of Portland homes being demolished. Many Portland residences were built under circumstances where asbestos was highly likely to have been involved.

Though the Department of Environmental Quality claims that the exploration into new regulations for asbestos are not due to the recent media exposure, the department has been reluctant in the past to speak about their stance on protecting the public from asbestos mesothelioma.

Washington has different regulations regarding asbestos than Oregon, which may explain why asbestos was removed by at least 56 percent of homes demolished between 2011 and 2014 in Southwest Washington. In contrast, within the same time period in Portland, only 33 percent of homes had removed asbestos prior to demolition.

The Southwest Washington Clean Air Agency applies their regulations to all buildings, including single-family homes, which helps ensure that contractors look for and remove asbestos. Oregon regulators only find out a demolition is going to occur if a contractor has looked for asbestos and is planning to properly remove it.

Any contractor that does not look for asbestos or plan to remove it properly is not required, by current Oregon regulations, to turn in paperwork.

The backwards nature of these rules is reflected in the fact that Oregon is the only state that falls short of federal standards for demolition notices. Federal rules established in the 1970s have barred contractors from performing demolitions without written notice, regardless of whether or not they have discovered asbestos. Oregon does not enforce this requirement, though it technically has a federal responsibility to do so.

What is Asbestos Mesothelioma?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral used for commercial purposes such as electrical or building insulation, as well as countless other uses. Asbestos’ microscopic fibers can accumulate in the lungs and cause several critical health problems, the worst of which is a lung cancer known as mesothelioma.

Asbestos mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, and has been primarily associated with exposure to asbestos, often due to construction or demolition work. Asbestos mesothelioma lung cancer takes decades to develop, but quickly spreads to distant organs. Because of these factors, asbestos lung cancer is commonly diagnosed at a late stage of development.

Many people exposed to asbestos, often construction workers, have filed asbestos mesothelioma lawsuits after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with or died from an asbestos-related disease, you may be able to file an asbestos mesothelioma lawsuit.