Asbestos demolition deal sparks state investigation in New Orleans

Hamp's Construction Co., a demolition firm that MayorMitch Landrieu oncepublicly chastised as irresponsible, is now the target of a state environmental investigation over its handling of asbestos at five sites managed by the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority.

Documents and a series of emails obtained by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune between the company, NORA and state regulators suggest that Hamp's demolished the residences without first properly testing for the known carcinogen in the building materials. The company also has not provided proof that it sent the debris to a landfill certified to handle asbestos-laden construction waste.

Jeff Hebert, NORA's executive director, said he has requested Hamp's produce "dump tickets," receipts that indicate the cost to drop off the debris and which landfill received it. So far he said he's gotten no answer from the firm.

"We don't have any information on where it's going," Hebert said this week.

Hamp's owner, Charlie Hampton, didn't respond to a message left at his office Wednesday seeking comment.

Hamp's has had a rocky relationship with City Hall for years. Landrieu dressed down Hampton at a public community meeting in Algiers in August 2013, telling Hampton he should be ashamed of how his company handled asbestos debris at the former Higgins Gate Apartment complex.

State investigators intervened in the Higgins Gate demolition work in 2008 after they found Hamp's wasn't following state environmental protection laws when hauling away asbestos-laden material from there.

It appears those investigators have jumped in again. Dwight Bradshaw, a scientist with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, wrote the Louisiana Land Trust in August to ask for any information regarding its arrangement with NORA over demolitions of Hurricane Katrina-damaged properties under the Road Home program. The state-created land trust had transferred all Road Home-eligible properties to NORA's control in recent years.

Bradshaw also asked the land trust for its inspection reports from 2010 through 2012 on the five properties in question:

At two sites, 4908 Bonita and 11730 West Barrington, the land trust's inspection contractor, CDM Smith, discovered material that contained asbestos a full two years before Hamp's began its demolitions, according to land trust records. The other three addresses weren't slated to be torn down before the trust transferred them to NORA, so the trust did not have asbestos inspection reports on them.

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Asbestos demolition deal sparks state investigation in New Orleans