The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that two men from the State of Idaho were sentenced to prison for violating the asbestos work practice standards of the Clean Air Act. The criminal case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The defendants in the case supervised a waterline renovation project in Orofino, Idaho. By failing to adequately supervise the renovation, they violated EPA’s regulations that protect the public and the environment from exposure to asbestos, a well recognized carcinogen. According to Tyler Amon, an EPA’s criminal investigation agent, the two Idaho men “carelessly subjected Orofino residents to asbestos exposure…” and “…created sixteen separate asbestos disposal sites that threatened the community, jeopardized workers and cost taxpayers $4 million to cleanup.”

Sources:

U.S. Department of Justice, http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/August/13-enrd-920.html