The Bakersfield Californian reported that on behalf of the State of California, an attorney filed a civil lawsuit against Pacifica Enterprises of San Diego – which owns the Padre Hotel in Bakersfield – for purposely and repeatedly violating state asbestos-removal laws in an attempt to save money.

According to the suit, Pacifica used untrained workers to demolish the Padre, exposing those workers to asbestos. Pacifica also hired a company to illegally dispose of the asbestos in the Bena Landfill, a dump used by the public.