The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) has alerted the President and Congress that officials at an Army facility in Aberdeen, Maryland were not compliant with asbestos safety requirements for years. A safety manager whistleblower disclosed to OSC that officials at the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) failed to complete required asbestos mitigation procedures during several large-scale demolitions, placing employees, contract employees, and the public in danger of potential exposure to hazardous material.
The Army's investigative report largely substantiated the whistleblower's allegations, finding that APG does not have a detailed asbestos management program and officials repeatedly failed to perform proper asbestos mitigation. The report outlines ten instances of the failure to mitigate asbestos exposure and maintain necessary records. In one case, during the demolition of a building at the facility, asbestos containing material was dropped to the ground and left unsecured and uncontrolled for nine months before finally being removed.
The report made several recommendations to improve asbestos mitigation at the facility, including an independent audit; a comprehensive asbestos inventory of all APG buildings and facilities; maintenance of asbestos records in a centralized location; and HAZMAT training for the workforce and facility owners.
“I thank the whistleblower for bringing these serious allegations to OSC's attention," said Acting Special Counsel Karen Gorman. “The Army's proposed solutions should improve the safety of employees and the public."
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