Asbestos improperly removed from former Toastmaster building in Moberly

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources said its regional office was contacted by a concerned citizen about asbestos being disturbed at the former Toastmaster building in Moberly on March 1.

The department said it looked into the complaint and discovered that Wiedeman Dozing, a demolition company from Leonard, improperly removed and stockpiled 34 bags of friable asbestos, or pipe insulation, from the building. The department said the building should have had an inspection and the asbestos should have been removed by licensed contractors before demolition.

The company failed to contact DNR and was not licensed to conduct the abatement, according to Brian Quinn, a division information officer with the department. Quinn said it contacted the building’s owner and the contractor and asked them to stop the work on the Toastmaster building until the asbestos can be properly removed.

Demolition crews must notify DNR within 10 days of a demolition or asbestos abatement project, according to the state rules.

ABC 17 News contacted Wiedeman Dozing, but the company did not want to comment.

Tom Sanders, head of Moberly Public Works, said the building owner was in the process of obtaining the proper demolition permit on Friday afternoon. Sanders said a code enforcement employee noticed the ongoing demolition at the building, and stopped them after “less than a full day of work.”

The building’s owner plans to demolish the west wing of the old building, according to the permit prepared by Moberly city staff.

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