The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan and its subcontractors for alleged improper handling and removal of materials containing asbestos during a demolition project. | Photo submitted to Lake & McHenry County Scanner

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan and its subcontractors for alleged improper handling and removal of materials containing asbestos during a demolition project, authorities said.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the lawsuit Monday in Lake County Circuit Court against V. Covington Realty LLC, V. Covington LLC, Reed Illinois Corporation, K.L.F. Enterprises Inc., and Alliance Environmental Control Inc., authorities said in a news release.

V. Covington Realty LLC and V. Covington LLC are the owners and operators of Lake Behavioral Hospital, the news release states.

The lawsuit also adds a motion seeking an agreed interim order requiring the companies to submit a plan to decontaminate the site and safely finish demolition, authorities said.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Rauol | Submitted photo

โ€œThe owners and operators of Lake Behavioral Hospital and the contractors they hired for this demolition have jeopardized public health by exposing people to dangerous materials containing asbestos,โ€ Raoul said. โ€œThe asbestos must be remediated, and I am committed to ensuring that the defendants are held accountable for creating this hazard and for preventing any further harm to the publicโ€™s health and the environment.โ€

The lawsuit comes on the heels of a federal investigation that found three dozen violations were committed in the demolition of the former hospital in Waukegan, resulting in โ€œserious dangersโ€ of asbestos.

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The U.S. Department of Laborโ€™s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced previously that K.L.F. Enterprises, a Chicago demolition subcontractor, was cited for 36 safety and health violations.

OSHA said K.L.F. Enterprises knew it was exposing its employees and others to the serious dangers of asbestos during the demolition of the former Lake Behavioral Hospital.

The building was home to Vista Medical Center West before it was bought by Lake Behavioral Hospital. Before that, the hospital was known as St. Therese Medical Center.

 

The hospital site in question consists of three buildings that are no longer in use but are connected to a medical campus which remains open to the public, officials said.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan and its subcontractors for alleged improper handling and removal of materials containing asbestos during a demolition project. | Photo submitted to Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Demolition activities at the site stopped in November of 2023 after one building was fully demolished and one was partially demolished, the complaint reads. Demolition of a third building has not yet started, authorities said.

The lawsuit alleges the companies failed to properly inspect for asbestos before beginning demolition activities, which led to the release of asbestos into the air.

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The companies also allegedly failed to properly dispose of materials containing asbestos, initiated the demolition without giving the required notice, and handled asbestos-containing material without trained on-site representatives, the lawsuit alleges.

There is no known safe exposure level to asbestos, the release states, though inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.

Raoulโ€™s lawsuit is based on a referral from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

โ€œFollowing complaints received about the site, Illinois EPA conducted a thorough inspection and determined there was improper handling of asbestos during the demolition,โ€ said IEPA Director John J. Kim. โ€œAs a result of our investigation, work was ordered to cease at the site, and the matter was referred to the Attorney Generalโ€™s Office for enforcement. Illinois EPA has required the site to be secured with 24-hour security along with the wetting of the demolition material. Illinois EPA also required the submittal of a plan to address cleanup of the site, which has been submitted and is currently under review.โ€

Raoul is also pursuing an agreed order requiring the defendants to continue to secure the facility to the IEPAโ€™s satisfaction.

 

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan and its subcontractors for alleged improper handling and removal of materials containing asbestos during a demolition project. | Photo submitted to Lake & McHenry County Scanner

The order would require the companies to refrain from removing any items without prior written approval from the IEPA, and continue to take all necessary actions to prevent the discharge or release of asbestos.

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The order also would require the hospital to submit a commitment letter to IEPA certifying that all future demolition and renovation activities will be performed in compliance with federal, state, and local rules and regulations, hire an Illinois-licensed asbestos professional to perform a complete asbestos inspection of the facility, submit a plan for decontamination and future demolition at the facility to the IEPA for review and approval, and provide records and reports related to the release of asbestos at the facility.

The Lake County Stateโ€™s Attorney’s Office assisted with the lawsuit, authorities said.

โ€œEveryone deserves to live in a safe and healthy community. The release of asbestos at the Lake Behavioral Hospital poses an environmental hazard and is deeply concerning,โ€ said Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart. โ€œOur office will work diligently with the Attorney General and the IEPA to hold the corporations accountable, see that the site is properly cleaned up, and mitigate the risk for any additional asbestos releases.โ€