Steubenville, Ohio - A judge in Jefferson County, Ohio has imposed a large fine on the owner of a former steel facility and his affiliates for what he described as “massive asbestos violations.”
According to an account in the Norwalk Reflector, the sanctions against Arthur David Sugar, Sr.; David Sugar Excavating, LLC; Honey Creek Contracting, Inc.; Excavation Technologies Inc.; and ADS Leasing are the result of shoddy practices that occurred during the demolition of the former Weirton Steel Mill in the town of Steubenville, Ohio. The court found that the defendants showed a blatant disregard for laws governing asbestos handling and removal. Specifically, in some cases they failed to remove the material before demolition or did so in an improper manner, and also failed to notify the Ohio EPA of their intention to remove asbestos from the facility.
“Asbestos is widely known to be a dangerous, cancer-causing material which must be abated in any demolition,” Attorney General DeWine said when the verdict was announced. “The aggressive penalty issued against the defendants in this case shows that endangering Ohioans by failing to properly manage asbestos will not be tolerated.”
In 2011, Sugar and Honey Creek pleaded guilty in a United States District Court to one count of conspiracy and four counts of violating the Clean Air Act rules related to the proper removal and handling of asbestos. As a result, a trial ensued in 2012 at which time the defendants’ liability was debated, resulting in the recent penalty.
“As attorney general, I take my role in protecting the health and safety of Ohio families very seriously,” DeWine said. “I will continue to work with Ohio EPA to make sure Ohio's laws regarding asbestos are enforced across the state.”
An abundance of asbestos was used in steel mills across the country throughout much of the 20th century, so it isn’t unusual to encounter the material when doing demolition or renovation at an old mill. Asbestos may have been used in building products like floor or ceiling tiles or could have been employed as insulation for boilers, generators, pipes, and electric wiring. Individuals who worked in steel mills were constantly being exposed to the carcinogenic material. Hence, those workers are still candidates for developing diseases such as mesothelioma or other cancers.
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