PREZANT ASSOCIATES, INC. v. Department

165 P.3d 12
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedAugust 16, 2007
Docket58140-6-I
StatusPublished

This text of 165 P.3d 12 (PREZANT ASSOCIATES, INC. v. Department) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
PREZANT ASSOCIATES, INC. v. Department, 165 P.3d 12 (Wash. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

165 P.3d 12 (2007)

PREZANT ASSOCIATES, INC., Appellant,
v.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRIES, Respondent.

No. 58140-6-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

July 2, 2007.
Publication Ordered August 16, 2007.

*13 Aaron Kazuo Owada, AMS Law, Lacey, WA, for Appellant.

Michael King Hall, Office of the Attorney General, Olympia, WA, for Respondent.

SCHINDLER, A.C.J.

¶ 1 The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (the Department) cited Prezant Associates, Inc. (Prezant) for a serious violation of Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA), chapter 49.17 RCW. Because the record supports the Department's determination that Prezant did not comply with state and federal regulations in performing a good faith inspection in identifying asbestos-containing material, we affirm the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals decision that Prezant committed a serious violation of WISHA.

FACTS

¶ 2 Before beginning a planned renovation of the Miller Science Learning Center, Seattle Pacific University (SPU) accepted Prezant's bid to provide "Asbestos and Lead Consulting Services for the Miller Science Learning Center" to identify all asbestos-containing material for abatement.

¶ 3 In the bid, Prezant agreed that accredited Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) inspectors would follow the requirements of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) XXX-XX-XXXXX, and AHERA, 40 C.F.R. ch. 1 Part 763. In the "Scope of Work," Prezant states that its accredited AHERA building inspectors will inventory the facility according to 40 C.F.R. ch. 1 Part 763 and prepare and submit a written report containing a summary of the inspectors' findings, the laboratory test results, and an estimate for abatement costs for the asbestos-containing materials. The bid also states that Prezant will conduct asbestos and lead sampling to meet the regulatory requirements by conducting an inventory of visible building material likely to contain asbestos and analyze samples using 40 C.F.R. ch. 1 Part 763. Prezant said it would:

Walk through facility and inventory visible building materials likely to contain asbestos. All work will be conducted by AHERA Accredited Building Inspectors.
Analyze samples for asbestos using test methods specified in 40 CFR ch. 1 Pt. 763 Subpart F [sic. E], Appendix A. This analysis will be performed by our in-house NVLAP — accredited laboratory.
Prepare and submit a written report which contains:
1. Summary of Inspector Findings.
2. Estimates of removal costs of visible asbestos-containing materials.
3. Laboratory Results.

¶ 4 On September 16, 2002, Prezant issued the "Asbestos and Lead Survey Report for Sampling at the Miller Science Learning Center" (the Report). According to the Report, the survey was performed according to AHERA, 40 C.F.R. ch. 1 Part 763, with the stated objective of determining the quantity and location of building materials that contain asbestos. Table I summarizes the location of asbestos-containing material in the Miller Science Learning Center. Table 2 sets forth an inventory of the samples tested for asbestos. The Report states that vinyl flooring material from the first and second floors in rooms 123, 124, 211, 218, and 219 were sampled, and no asbestos was detected. Table 2 also states that the samples of "vinyl floor sheeting with yellow and grey speckle pattern, paper backing and mastic" taken *14 from rooms 123, 124, 211, 218, and 219 contain no asbestos. Based on Prezant's Report, SPU authorized Prezant to proceed with abatement. On September 12, 2003, Prezant confirmed that the asbestos identified in the Report was abated.

¶ 5 Democon, L.L.C. began work at the Miller Science Learning Center on September 21, 2003. During demolition, Democon employees removed approximately 4800 square feet of vinyl flooring from the second floor, including the vinyl flooring in rooms 211, 218, and 219. The vinyl flooring removed from the second floor rooms contained 30% chrysotile asbestos. During removal, approximately ten workers were exposed to asbestos.

¶ 6 During the Department's investigation, Prezant's accredited inspector, Lloyd Tangunan, admitted that he did not take any samples from the second floor rooms because he believed the flooring was the same color or texture as the sample he obtained from the first floor. But when Tangunan was shown the vinyl flooring material from the two different floors, he conceded that the vinyl flooring material was not the same color.

¶ 7 The Department cited Prezant for committing a serious violation of WISHA by not performing a good faith survey as required by state and federal regulations. Specifically, the Department concluded that Prezant violated WAC 296-62-07721(2)(b)(ii) by failing "to perform an adequate good faith survey to determine whether materials to be worked on or removed contain asbestos."[1]

¶ 8 Prezant appealed to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals (BIIA). In the BIIA appeal, Prezant and the Department filed cross motions for summary judgment. The BIIA ruled as a matter of law that Prezant committed a serious violation and affirmed the Department's decision to issue a citation. Prezant appealed the BIIA decision to superior court. The court affirmed the decision and awarded statutory attorney fees to the Department. Prezant appeals.

ANALYSIS

¶ 9 Prezant asserts the BIIA erred in ruling as a matter of law that the inspector violated WAC 296-62-07721(2)(b)(ii) by failing to follow the sampling protocol in identifying asbestos-containing material under 40 C.F.R. 763 Part E.

¶ 10 In a WISHA appeal, the BIIA findings of fact are conclusive if supported by substantial evidence. RCW 49.17.150; RCW 34.05.570(3)(e); Inland Foundry Co., Inc. v. Dep't of Labor and Indus., 106 Wash.App. 333, 340, 24 P.3d 424 (2001). We then review the findings to determine if they support the conclusions of law. RCW 49.17.150; Mid Mountain Contractors, Inc. v. Dep't of Labor & Indus., 136 Wash.App. 1, 4, 146 P.3d 1212 (2006).

¶ 11 Here, because the parties submitted cross motions for summary judgment, the only question is whether the BIIA erred as a matter of law in concluding Prezant's accredited inspector violated state and federal regulations failing to perform a good faith survey to identify asbestos-containing material. Tiger Oil Corp. v. Dep't of Licensing, 88 Wash.App. 925, 930, 946 P.2d 1235 (1997). We review the BIIA's interpretation of statutes and regulations de novo. Cobra Roofing v. Dep't of Labor & Indus., 122 Wash.App.

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Prezant Associates, Inc. v. Department of Labor & Industries
165 P.3d 12 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2007)

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