The Park City School District received a non-compliance advisory from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality earlier this month after an inspector observed asbestos on the Treasure Mountain Junior High School demolition site.
State officials on Nov. 4 sent the notice to Cripple Creek Consulting and Environmental, the third-party contractor the district hired. The letter stated an inspector visited the site on Oct. 22 and identified two potential violations, both of which were related to asbestos regulations.
The first issue was the district’s alleged failure to identify all locations and materials containing asbestos on the site. The second violation was “for failing to follow the sampling protocol” to determine whether the suspected “asbestos-containing material” actually contained asbestos.
Cripple Creek Consulting sent a response to the Department of Environmental Quality on Nov. 13, 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.
“It was noted that the surfacing (asbestos) material had been abated,” the response said. “Before demolition had occurred to the asbestos-containing surfacing material, Cripple Creek learned that the material abatement note was not correct and immediately scheduled a full asbestos survey.”
The school district said in a statement on Thursday that it “takes environmental compliance and community safety very seriously,” adding that demolition in the affected area was “immediately paused” once the issue was brought to administrators’ attention.
“Throughout the demolition process, a certified environmental specialist has been onsite every day to monitor conditions and ensure all work complies with state and federal requirements,” the statement said. “Licensed abatement professionals then completed the regulated removal process in full compliance with state oversight.”
The district also provided a copy of its response to the Department of Environmental Quality, which further expounded on the paperwork discrepancies noted by Cripple Creek Consulting.
“PCSD has previously engaged and retained an asbestos consultant to author and update the asbestos management plan for Treasure Mountain,” the district said. “In planning for the eventual project and demolition, PCSD engaged a different asbestos consultant. The building was resurveyed and the asbestos survey updated. However, there existed some misinterpretation with the existing management plan and survey update.”
The decision to change consultants was due to the realization that the site required a full-time environmental site manager, according to the district’s statement.
The letter continued, “Please understand that at no time did PCSD or its consultants attempt to circumnavigate or display malicious intent to not follow procedure for abatement.”
The district initiated another asbestos survey on Oct. 27 based on the investigator’s findings earlier in the month. The survey showed the presence of asbestos in the boys’ east and girls’ west locker rooms.
The Park City School District added that it did not plan to sever ties with MOCA, its primary construction consultant, despite the violations.
“While the recent asbestos issue was certainly concerning, MOCA has worked closely with us to address it promptly, transparently and in full compliance with regulatory requirements,” the district’s statement said. “MOCA’s expertise, historical knowledge of our facilities and consistent support have been critical in keeping our projects on track while aligning with community expectations. For these reasons, and based on their strong overall performance, the district remains confident in continuing our partnership with MOCA.”
The district said it is “not expecting fines or penalties” based on its immediate response to correct the violations and called the non-compliance advisory “common in large-scale demolition projects.”
The statement additionally said the school has had an “active Asbestos Management Plan” since 1989, with required inspections “continuously documented.”
“Asbestos in certain areas of the building was already known and property managed under that plan,” the district said. “We will, of course, continue to monitor all aspects of project management carefully to ensure accountability and the highest standards of safety for our students, staff and greater Park City community.”