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CALIFORNIA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ASBESTOS VIOLATION
Release Date: 06/28/2001
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2001
On June 18, A. Scott Dockter pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act by unlawfully removing asbestos during the demolition and renovation of the Delta Sugar Plant in Clarksburg, Calif. Specifically, the defendant failed to provide EPA with a 10-day written notice of his intention to demolish and renovate a facility that contained asbestos, failed to adequately wet the asbestos before removal or use other controls to keep asbestos fibers from becoming airborne, failed to carefully lower all stripped asbestos after it was removed, failed to ensure that all asbestos was kept wet until collected and properly contained for disposal and failed to dispose of the asbestos at an EPA-approved disposal site. Allowing asbestos fibers to become airborne by improper removal and disposal can lead to their inhalation, and inhaling asbestos can cause lung cancer, a lung disease known as “asbestosis” and mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. When sentenced, Dockter faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.
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