Update: Agencies Respond to Asbestos Exposure at Trader Joe’s in Southeast Portland

Portland, Ore. - Yesterday, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and partner agencies responded to an asbestos exposure issue at the Trader Joe's store at 715 SE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. in Portland.

At DEQ's request, Trader Joe's closed the store to employees and customers at approximately 5 p.m. yesterday. The store will remain closed until the asbestos is fully cleaned up and the store is decontaminated.

Health officials from Oregon Health Authority and Multnomah County Health Department believe the risk of harm to public health is low due to the short exposure time and low concentrations of asbestos in the material.

"We want to reassure the community that if they recently shopped in the store, there is not a significant health threat; short-term asbestos exposure carries an incredibly low health risk," said Multnomah County Environmental Health Services Director Andrea Hamberg. "Our goal is to protect the long-term health of our community. We have consulted with Oregon Health Authority's toxicologists and are working with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to ensure the building is fully decontaminated before it reopens."

This Trader Joe's location is undergoing a renovation project that began Feb. 15, 2026, including work on the store's flooring. Renovation work has been occurring overnight after the store closed to customers. The store's contractor conducted an asbestos survey before renovation began, but the samples collected did not include all flooring mastic materials, so the initial sample results were negative for asbestos.

Mastic is an older adhesive that was commonly used to glue floor tiles and can contain asbestos.

DEQ received a complaint reporting black dust in the store and subsequently received photos showing exposed flooring with black mastic material. DEQ asked Trader Joe's to test this mastic material for asbestos, and the results came back positive.

After reviewing the test results, DEQ promptly asked that Trader Joe's close the store and begin abatement and decontamination.

The concentrations of asbestos in the mastic are approximately 2-3%. While these are lower concentrations than many other asbestos-containing materials, these concentrations require abatement because the concentration is more than 1%.

Trader Joe's is hiring a DEQ-licensed asbestos abatement contractor to decontaminate the store. After the decontamination is complete, DEQ will evaluate air monitoring and sampling before the store reopens.

If you shopped at this store between Feb. 15 and when it closed yesterday

Again, health officials believe the risk of exposure is low. If you have concerns, you can take the following steps:

• Wash produce thoroughly before eating.
• For packaged foods, wipe the packaging before opening, and transfer food to a container. Throw away wipes and packaging.
• Wash clothes worn at the store.
• Clean surfaces that may have accumulated dust from the store using wet wipes or a HEPA-filtered vacuum. Throw away used wet wipes.

Information for store employees

Based on the science of asbestos exposure, understanding of this type of material and the short duration of exposure during the renovation, OHA toxicologists believe the risk to Trader Joe's employees is low. See more information below.

Oregon Occupational Safety and Health has an open investigation of the site to evaluate potential worker exposures. See the Oregon OSHA website for more information on worker rights and responsibilities.

Asbestos exposure and your health

Asbestos is a mineral fiber. When inhaled as dust over many years, it can increase the risk of cancers of the lung and lining of the lung.

Asbestos mainly affects the lungs and the lining that surrounds the lungs. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers for a long time may result in scar-like tissue in the lungs and in the lung lining. This disease is called asbestosis and is found in workers who are frequently exposed to asbestos.

Breathing asbestos over many years can increase the risk of cancer in people. There are two types of cancer caused by long-term exposure to asbestos: lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin lining surrounding the lung or abdominal cavity. Cancer from asbestos generally does not develop immediately, but shows up after several years.

For more information about asbestos and health, see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's ToxFAQs in English and Spanish.

Media contacts

• DEQ: Michael Loch, 503-737-9435, [email protected]
• OHA: Jonathan Modie, 971-246-9139, [email protected]
• Oregon OSHA: Aaron Corvin, 971-718-6973, [email protected]

For translation and other formats, visit DEQ's Civil Rights, Environmental Justice and Accessibility page.

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