Senator Markey Grills White House Contractor ACECO on Health and Safety Precautions During East Wing Demolition

Letter Text (PDF)
Washington (October 30, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security and a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today wrote to Michael D. Citren, Chairman, and Stephen D. Smith, President of ACECO LLC, the contractor handling the demolition of the East Wing of the White House, questioning whether ACECO followed federal health and safety standards during the demolition, or if it placed its own workers and the public at risk of exposure to asbestos and other hazardous materials.
In the letter, Senator Markey writes, “Damaged asbestos fibers are one of the most hazardous substances that can arise from construction demolition. Unless their presence is disclosed, individuals have no way of knowing that the air may contain tiny, tasteless and odorless fibers that cause no noticeable irritation but can be deadly. Construction workers on the East Wing site, nearby office workers and tourists, and passersby could now be at heightened risk of developing lung cancer, asbestosis, or mesothelioma from the inhalation of demolition dust.”
Senator Markey continues, “ACECO’s work falls squarely within a network of federal regulations governing demolition, hazardous-material handling, and worker protection. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) asbestos standard requires that employers identify, monitor, and control asbestos exposure in demolition work. And the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) rules require inspection, advance notice, and approved abatement or containment procedures before demolition of a structure containing asbestos.”
Senator Markey requests answers to the following questions by November 12, 2025:
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