THE INCUMBENT, HOPING TO SERVE IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ANOTHER FORMER EMPLOYEE IS COMING FORWARD ACCUSING A PORTLAND PROPERTY MANAGER OF NOT PROPERLY HANDLING ASBESTOS FOUND ON SITE. JENNIFER H.: WE'VE BEEN REPORTING ON ALLEGATIONS OF ASBESTOS FOUND ON-SITE AT THE COMMONS AT SYLVAN HIGHLANDS COMPLEX SINCE SEPTEMBER. OUR GABRIELLE KAROL SAT DOWN WITH THIS LATEST FORMER EMPLOYEE FOR THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW. GABRIELLE: MARCO MORALES SAYS HE DID DRYWALL WORK FOR TANDEM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. NOW, HE'S JOINING A LAWSUIT ACCUSING THE PROPERTY MANAGER OF EXPOSING EMPLOYEES AND TENANTS TO ASBESTOS AND THEN TRYING TO COVER IT UP. SPEAKING THROUGH A SPANISH INTERPRETER, MORALES, WHO REQUESTED THAT WE NOT SHOW HIS FACE, SAID HE WAS ON SITE IN JUNE WHEN A CONSTRUCTION CREW DISCOVERED ASBESTOS AT THE COMMONS AT SYLVAN HIGHLANDS.
WHEN WE REMOVED THE CEILING WE FOUND THIS BLACK ISOLATION. GABRIELLE: HE SAID HE AND OTHER WORKERS ASKED TO SEE ASBESTOS SURVEYS, WHICH ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED. HE SAYS CONCERNS WERE DISMISSED. THEY DID NOT WORRY ABOUT THAT TYPE OF THING. THEY ONLY WORRIED ABOUT FINISHING THE WORK AND KEEPING UP WITH PRODUCTION. GABRIELLE: MORALES' ALLEGATIONS REFLECT SOME OF THE FINDINGS IN AN OREGON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION REPORT, RELEASED TO KOIN 6 THIS WEEK. OSHA'S INVESTIGATION FOUND :. THE EMPLOYER WAS AWARE OF IS BEST AS CONTAINING MATERIAL BEING PRESENT ON SITE. EMPLOYEES ASKED THE EMPLOYER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS TO PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS PRIOR TO WORK BEING STARTED AND CONCERNS OVER THE POSSIBILITY OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING MATERIAL. MORALES SAYS HE'S WORRIED ABOUT POTENTIAL YEARS OF EXPOSURE TO THE CANCER-CAUSING MATERIAL. WE DIDN'T GET ANY SPECIAL EQUIPMENT.
WE JUST GOT SOME MASKS THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY FILTERS. GABRIELLE: YOU WEREN'T GIVING ANY SPECIAL TRAINING? NOTHING. GABRIELLE: TANDEM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN ORDERED BY OSHA TO PAY MORE THAN $12,000 IN PENALTIES. THE AGENCY CITED THEM FOR 9 SERIOUS VIOLATIONS, THE PROPERTY MANAGER IS ALSO UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. TANDEM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HAS.