3 charged with improper handling of asbestos
Staff report
CLEVELAND — Three people have been indicted on federal charges of improper removal and handling of asbestos in East Liverpool between Dec. 31, 2006, and January 2007.
The indictment accuses Stephen L. Jones, 45, of Toronto, Ohio; Michael A. Phelps, Jr., 24, of Wellsville; and George L. Webber, 52, of East Liverpool, of taking asbestos-covered pipes from a landfill near East Liverpool with the intent to sell the pipes as scrap metal.
Before selling the pipes, Jones, Phelps and Webber stripped the asbestos from the pipes using hand and power tools. The stripped asbestos was allowed to fall to the floor, where it collected.
Water was not used during the stripping operations, and water was not used to keep the asbestos insulation that collected on the basement floor wet, contrary to proper procedures.
Asbestos, long used as a fire retardant and building insulation in various industries, has been linked to cancer and other health-related problems.
Each defendant is charged in the indictment with violating the rules that govern the proper removal and handling of asbestos.
If they are convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad J. Beeson, after an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, and the Ohio EPA. All the agencies are members of the Northeast Ohio Environmental Crimes Task Force.