When a former high school teacher in Bridger, Montana enlisted five of his special-ed students to rip up old floor tiles as part of a renovation project at an old school building, he neglected to inform the kids or their parents that the floor tiles contained hazardous asbestos. He kept the project secret from the local school board (whose members knew the tiles were asbestos-containing) and from the EPA, which violated EPA regulations requiring that plans be filed prior to such asbestos removal and that work site precautions be taken. And, when the asbestos debris was hauled off for disposal, the former teacher failed to inform the local landfill about the asbestos, representing that the material was ordinary construction waste. For this, Randal J. Ecker, 60, now retired, has pleaded guilty to a single federal regulatory violation for failing to send the EPA a written notice of a cleanup plan prior to the removal of the asbestos tiles as required under the Clean Air Act. The former teacher faces a maximum possible sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The school district and board have already settled a civil suit filed by the students and their parents, with each student receiving $251,000.
For the full story, go to the Billings Gazette.
