EPA orders Old Forge factory owner to cease asbestos demolition
The owner of an abandoned lampshade factory in Old Forge must cease all demolition work and enact corrective measures in order to halt the release of more asbestos into the air, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.
The long-defunct factory on Hillcrest Drive has been on the radar of federal and state environmental officials for a slew of violations recently, including improper removal of asbestos materials during demolition and storing harmful waste materials on the property.
“We’re going after all the materials,” said Mark Carmon, a state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman. “They’re (EPA) after all the asbestos in the building.”
Efforts to reach the property owner, Walter Stocki Jr. of Old Forge, were unsuccessful. Mr. Stocki also must submit a work plan to the federal agency and post warning signs around the building, according to the EPA order.
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