The Utah Department of Environmental Quality has fined the Park City School District and one of its third-party contractors for violating air quality standards. State documents obtained through a Government Records Access and Management Act request indicated the district and Cripple Creek Consul ting and Environmental were both fined last month after an investigator discovered asbestos on the demolition site of Treasure Mountain Junior High School in October. Specifically, the school district was disciplined for failing to update its asbestos management plan, and a notice of a $500 fine was sent to Todd Hansen, the director of buildings and grounds for the Park City School District, on Jan. 9. However, the district agreed to a settlement with the state agency, which reduced the fine to $400. “Given the minor nature of the assessment, the district was permitted to redirect 80% of the funds into the state’s mitigation fund for future environmental use, reflecting our commitment to responsible facilities management,” district officials said in a statement Friday morning. A similar notice was also sent to Cripple Creek Consulting in mid-January. The letter to the contracting company listed two violations — one for failing to identify the asbestos-containing material and another for not complying with the state’s sampling protocol. Cripple Creek Consulting was fined $2,531, with a reduced fee of $2,025 if the business were to agree to a settlement. It was not clear as of Friday morning whether the contracting company had entered a settlement agreement. “The monetary amount of the (Utah Division of Air Quality) settlement offer specified below is derived from a preestablished schedule of penalties, which takes into account, among other factors, the magnitude and severity of the violation, cooperation of the source, as well as the prior history of violations,” the state wrote in notices to both parties. The letters additionally said the settlement offer was “intended to quickly resolve the non-compliance issues.” “Failure to resolve this matter as outlined in this letter may result in this offer being revoked and/or having this matter referred to a formal enforcement process,” the document said. The violations were identified by an inspector who visited the Treasure Mountain demolition site on Oct. 22, and state officials sent an initial non-compliance advisory to Cripple Creek Consulting on Nov. 4. Cripple Creek Consulting sent a response to the state agency a week later, claiming the continued demolition with asbestos on the premises was the result of a mistake in previous paperwork. The company said an asbestos survey last occurred on Sept. 16, following an update to the district’s management plan. The school district at the time released a statement saying it “takes environmental compliance and community safety very seriously.” “Throughout the demolition process, a certified environmental specialist has been onsite every day to monitor conditions and ensure all works complies with state and federal requirements,” the statement said. “Licensed abatement professionals then completed the regulated removal process in full compliance with state oversight.” District officials in November said the asbestos management plan was not properly updated because of a change in consultants once they realized the site required a full-time environmental site manager. “Please understand that at no time did (Park City School District) or its consultants attempt to circumnavigate or display malicious intent to not follow procedure for abatement,” the district wrote in a letter to the state shortly after the issuance of the non-compliance advisory. The district on Friday also reaffirmed its commitment to safety protocols and environmental stewardship. “Upon discovering a potential asbestos issue in an area where no active demolition was occurring, Park City School District acted immediately to begin professional abatement and mitigation,” the statement said. “The safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority, and these proactive steps ensured the area was secured and handled according to strict safety protocols.” The post School district, contractor fined for air quality violations on Treasure Mountain Junior High demolition site appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less