Employees and shoppers were exposed to asbestos at an Illinois Kroger, lawsuit states
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Poor handling of renovations at a Taylorville Kroger exposed shoppers and workers to asbestos, a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul alleges against the Kroger Company and SSI Services LLC.
According to the lawsuit, SSI contracted with Kroger to conduct renovations at the 201 East Bidwell St. store starting last month. It was SSI's task to remove 39,500 square feet of floor tile containing asbestos material and it had notified the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency of its work.
The issue with the activities came after a citizen complaint was filed on July 29, when broken floor tile and asbestos-containing material were reportedly still hanging from the ceiling.
EPA arrived on the scene the same day and said containment of the material was "inadequate." This is in-part due to the material not being properly wetted, which prevents the particles from dropping before disposal.
Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim said his office then contacted the Attorney General's Office, which filed the lawsuit Monday in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court.
“We are committed to ensuring the store is properly remediated prior to reopening for the safety of the employees and customers,” Kim said in a released statement.
More:Taylorville Kroger store sealed after asbestos concerns
Since the EPA inspection, the Taylorville Kroger has been sealed to the public. The Attorney General's lawsuit requests it remains closed. The state also asks the court to order the defendants to remediate all asbestos contamination in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations before the store is reopened.
Any presence of asbestos, discovered in chipped floor tiles left behind at the store according to the lawsuit, is a public health concern as inhalation can lead to lung cancer and mesothelioma. For those who smoke, research from the National Cancer Institute indicates asbestos exposure can be increasingly hazardous.
Depending on the action from the court, Kroger and SSI could face civil penalties of up to $50,000 for each violation and an additional $10,000 for subsequent days the violation continues.
Spokespersons for each Kroger and SSI said their companies do not comment on pending litigation.
Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois sues Kroger for asbestos handling at Taylorville store
