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OHIO MAN INDICTED IN ILLEGAL ASBESTOS DISPOSAL CASE

Release Date: 06/28/2001
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2001
OHIO MAN INDICTED IN ILLEGAL ASBESTOS DISPOSAL CASE

Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / hester.luke@epa.gov


On June 19, William C. Daniel of Bedford Heights, Ohio, was indicted on charges that he violated the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). The indictment alleges that Daniel illegally dumped 469 bags of asbestos-containing waste into an empty field in Cleveland. The waste allegedly had been picked up from the Erieview Tower two years earlier. The dumping of asbestos waste can release airborne asbestos fibers which, if inhaled, can lead to lung cancer, a lung disease known as “asbestosis” and mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. In addition to being charged with two counts of violating the CAA for the alleged dumping, Daniel is also charged with one count of violating CERCLA for failing to notify the government of the alleged asbestos release. If convicted on all charges, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of up to five years on each of the CAA charges and three years on the CERCLA charge. Each of the four counts also carries a maximum fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Cleveland. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland.

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