Watkins Environmental

I have an older tri-level home and discovered trace amounts of Chrysotile asbestos (0.30%) in the joint compound. CA rules are pretty strict—anything above 0.1% is treated as hazardous, so after researching I chose Watkins because they were responsive, cost competitive and had great reviews. However, based on my nightmarish experience that’s where the positives end.

Short version:
Watkins did not follow the agreed procedures. Their techs did not install proper containment around work areas and walked around my entire home with visible drywall dust on their clothes + shoes. Now my home has unsafe levels of asbestos where they worked (and likely in more areas). Another licensed contractor recommended I throw away all contaminated porous items in my home (carpet, couch, bedding, clothes etc.) and it will cost $2k to fix the damaged entryway wall.

Long version:
Watkins came on 6/30 to:
1. Remove vinyl wallpaper glued to joint compound (white sections) in the entryway
2. Cut + remove drywall in the laundry room
3. Cut + remove drywall in the master bath

Watkins techs began in the lower level laundry room and I immediately had concerns. They used a motorized tool to cut into drywall without fully sealing off the area—just a single plastic tarp with a slit cut down the middle (see pic). They also didn’t use negative pressure as discussed + had no HEPA filter or vacuum in the work area. After sawing drywall, the lead tech emerged from the laundry room with visible dust covering his hands, shirt, jeans and boots and walked up carpeted stairs to the main level to get the HEPA vacuum to use after the fact (see pic of footprint). I raised these concerns with the lead and was assured they’d use negative pressure in the other areas.

Next they did the master bath on the upper level—walking along unprotected carpet with the same dusty boots + clothes. The lead tech left and the sole remaining tech proceeded to cut/hammer on the drywall without fully sealing the area off and again didn’t use negative pressure, a HEPA filter or vacuum (see pic), despite being told by his lead to do so. When the lead returned, he apologized and said the miscommunication may have been bc the other tech speaks limited English. I called the VP of Watkins with my growing concerns and he sent a supervisor, but nobody alerted me when the supervisor arrived/he never spoke with me (I was isolating in a room upstairs).

Next they removed the entry wallpaper and finally used a critical barrier + negative pressure to vent the air through a window. At this time I was unable to go downstairs since the critical barrier blocked my only exit—this was discussed beforehand and I was told it could take 4+ hrs and then they’d remove the barrier so I wouldn’t be trapped. But during those few hours they decided to leave the barrier up overnight even though I was still upstairs. As they were about to leave, knowing I was stuck upstairs, I had to call out for help and had them bring a ladder so I could escape out a second story window.

The next day I spoke to the VP again who admitted things went poorly, and that he would use the videos + images I took to improve his team’s training around what not to do. He asked how they could make things right, and I requested asbestos tests be conducted where his team worked and he agreed.

Watkins sent people to clean my home twice before tests were taken, yet both of the surface tests on 7/8 found unsafe levels of asbestos inside my home. Chrysotile asbestos was found in the laundry on the washing machine at 32,300 s/cm2 and on the carpet near the master bedroom at 139,000 s/cm2. NOTE: > 10,000 s/cm2 is considered unsafe.

Prior to the abatement I tested near the entryway to see if I accidentally disturbed any asbestos when removing a section of wallpaper. The surface test found no asbestos and the air test found 1 structure of Amosite asbestos, 5x lower than safe limits. Yet Watkins now claims this 1 asbestos structure, which is completely different than the Chrysotile currently all over my house, is proof that I contaminated my home *before* they walked over my carpets in dusty boots and they are therefore not responsible.

Despite several attempts since receiving these test results to have Watkins remediate the damage it created, things have not proceeded at all. Beyond the contamination, the techs gouged/damaged the entryway drywall, which the VP agreed to pay to fix until he realized it would cost $2K. Now he’s only willing to waive the $1,150 original invoice to go toward this cost, leaving me with the remaining $850 + the cost to hire another licensed abatement company to remove the carpets/clean up the asbestos Watkins left behind + replace the carpet, which he’s never offered to do.

Watkins’ techs were undertrained and I don’t feel they took the health risks of asbestos seriously. I’ve been out of my home since their work on June 30 and will be until it can be fully remediated and is safe to return.