California Gas and Electric Company Found Guilty of Violating Asbestos Regulations
By Alison Gonzalez
Published on July 16, 2007
A jury convicted San Diego Gas & Electric Co. of improperly removing 40,000 linear feet of asbestos material from underground piping during a cleanup project at a Lemon Grove property once owned by the public utility. The company was also convicted of making false statements.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Pierson said evidence presented at trial proved that the company, along with project manager Kyle Rhuebottom and environmental specialist David Williamson, violated the Clean Air Act's asbestos-handling standards in an effort to save time and money. Pierson said their actions put the public at risk for cancer and other health problems.
According to the results of a 1998 test performed by a private SDG&E consultant, the pipes in question contained asbestos-laden material. In June 2000, SDG&E sold the facility and hired contractors to demolish the site. The lawsuit claims that during the project, workers failed to follow Clean Air Act guidelines in removing asbestos-containing pipe wrap. Workers also allegedly transported the asbestos material in leaky containers.
Bret Lane, SDG&E Vice President of Environmental Safety and Facilities, called the verdict unjust and said that the lawsuit was based on a disagreement between the company and government regulators over whether the asbestos presented a health risk. He added that test results showed no trace of asbestos fibers in either the air or the soil at the site.
Proceedings will continue in September. Lane said the company will appeal the verdict.
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