A federal court judge has the power to fine a US-based construction company nearly half a million dollars after they failed to remove asbestos from a planned school development site adequately.
The President of the company, Lobar Inc, signed an agreement for the company to plead guilty to one count of violating the Clean Air Act as part of the federal criminal case.
The terms of the deal mean that the company will be required to pay $400,000 in fines, undergo three years of probation and participate in order to create environmental compliance health and safety programs, in addition to a clause requiring employees to report any environmental violations.
The criminal case relates to a site in Pennsylvania, where Lobar was appointed as the general contractor to demolish a former mill and build a new school. Environmental assessments were shared with the company and various subcontractors prior to work commencing, which identified asbestos present at the site, among other hazardous substances.
When work began in January 2015, Lobar and other defendants allegedly started the demolition work of the existing structure before the appropriate asbestos remediation. The work was only stopped when the Environmental Protection Agency stepped in.
There are four other defendants named in the suit, and they face the same counts as Lobar – they are scheduled to appear at trial in June 2022.