Oregon regulators order SE Portland Trader Joe's closed after asbestos discovered

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said it ordered the closure of the Trader Joe’s at 4715 SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. in southeast Portland after tests found asbestos in the store’s flooring mastic; the closure was completed at approximately 5 p.m. on March 4 and the store will remain closed until decontamination is finished. DEQ coordinated the response and said partner agencies joined the investigation.

Renovation work at the location began on Feb. 15 and included flooring work, KPTV reported. An asbestos survey was performed before the renovation, but KPTV noted, “An asbestos survey was done before renovation began but the samples did not include all flooring mastic materials - an older adhesive that was commonly used to glue floor tiles, so the initial samples came back negative.” After workers or others reported black dust in the store, DEQ asked that the mastic be tested and those samples returned positive for asbestos.

DEQ said the response includes the Oregon Health Authority, the Multnomah County Health Department, and Oregon Occupational Safety and Health; those agencies are participating in the investigation, multiple outlets reported. DEQ quoted health officials saying, “Health officials from the Oregon Health Authority and Multnomah County Health Department believe the risk of harm to public health is low due to the short exposure time.” Local reports including KGW and KXL corroborated the closure timing at roughly 5 p.m. on March 4.

Trader Joe’s has agreed to hire a contractor to decontaminate the store, KPTV reported, and follow-up samples will be taken after the cleanup is complete. Officials have said the store must remain closed until the building is fully decontaminated and validated by testing. KPTV specifically reported the sequence that led to testing - the renovation start date, the pre-renovation survey omission of mastic, the black dust report, and the positive mastic test - as the basis for the closure order.

Authorities have not released several technical details: none of the reports provided the asbestos fiber type or concentration levels in the mastic or air samples, and officials have not said how many employees or customers may have been exposed. KXL noted that authorities “have not yet said how the asbestos exposure occurred at the store or how many people may have been affected.” KPTV also referenced guidance for anyone who shopped at the store between Feb. 15 and March 4, though the specific steps were not included in the publicly reported extracts.

DEQ told reporters more information would be released the following day as agencies continue to gather details and coordinate the decontamination and post-abatement sampling plan.