Over the summer, a flooring contractor sanded vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in a dormitory at a State University campus. This resulted in a cleanup, and there was a dispute between the contractor and University regarding the extent of work necessary prior to re-occupancy by students. We were retained by the New York State Office of the Attorney General to conduct an investigation to help resolve this issue.
Our inspection of the affected areas, and review of sampling data from the time of the event found that sanding the floor tile had contaminated portions of the dormitory with asbestos-containing dust, thus requiring a full asbestos decontamination. This confirmed that actions taken by the University, who performed a complete decontamination of the affected areas, were needed and prudent.
Our findings enabled the University to reach a settlement with the contractor regarding the costs of the needed cleanup work.