Asbestos News Roundup: 12.8.09

December 8th, 2009. By AbiK

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. 

Asbestos-related Lawsuit

La Crosse County, WI: An auto salvage business owner, Daniel D. Marini of Mindoro, WI, was found guilty of environmental violations while operating two of his salvage companies in two counties—La Crosse and Jackson counties. Marini was charged with unlawful activities he apparently engaged in while openly burning five mobile homes at his salvage company. 

In addition to burying the ash from the mobile homes on-site, he also illegally transported 90 drums of non-labelled hazardous waste and hazardous substances including oil, antifreeze, and gasoline mixes—all of which ran off into the ground as he performed automotive crushing activities. 

Asbestos enters the picture because Marini demolished the mobile homes without first inspecting the homes for the presence of any asbestos—and he did not notify the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) of his activities. The DNR subsequently conducted an investigation of Marini’s activities and found hazardous substance spills at the demolition sites. 

Marini has been ordered to pay $132,343 in fines, and to cease operations related to scrap recycling or vehicle salvaging for ten years from the judgement date. (WKBT.com)

Asbestos Hot Spot

Hamlin, WV:  Asbestos-containing shingles were found at the site of the Hamlin Business Park where a new Tri River Transit building is being constructed. The asbestos shingles were apparently buried and not detected in two preliminary environmental studies of the park conducted by E.L. Robinson Engineering. 

Lincoln Economic Development Authority (EDA) Director, Larry Stutler expressed surprise that the previous studies did not reveal the asbestos, however, he also stated that he was “not sure” whether the engineering company was required to do core drilling as a part of their studies. (Lincoln Journal Online) 

Asbestos Disclosure when Buying a Home

One of the most-dreaded parts of buying a home is the home inspection. But what if you go through the inspection process, get the “ok” to go ahead and buy that dream home, only to find out later that the home contains asbestos? If you suspect that the inspector—or previous homeowner—knew of the presence of asbestos, you most likely will want to speak with an attorney as you may well have a “failure to disclose” case. 

Beyond that, you are left with the aggravation of asbestos remediation-and there are services out there that handle such. You may also find also that the person you bought your home from will be willing to pay for the remediation rather than go to court…but best to discuss with a lawyer first…

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Mesothelioma

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