Jason S. Balut and Steven R. Drouin will each have to pay a $33,185 fine for violating state asbestos regulations at a jointly-owned rental property on Tacoma Street in Springfield.

In January 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) conducted an inspection of the Springfield property after receiving a complaint from a tenant that the owners may have illegally removed asbestos thermal insulation (ATI) from a boiler located in the basement of the house, according to a statement. During the inspection, MassDEP found pieces of remnant ATI on the tenant’s belongings, on the basement floor, on pipe fittings and on the ground outside of the house. MassDEP also learned the asbestos insulation had not been removed in accordance with state regulations and the removed ATI had not been properly disposed of.

"The proper removal of the asbestos by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor would have been far less costly to the property owners than what they ultimately paid in penalties and cleanup costs," said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP’s western regional office in Springfield.

At the MassDEP’s directive, the owners retained a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to clean up the property, according to a statement. As part of a settlement agreement with MassDEP, Balut and Drouin will each pay $5,000 of their assessed penalties. The remaining balance of their penalties will be suspended during a one-year probationary period.