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Arizona landowner fined for illegal asbestos dumping
In Arizona, a landowner has been ordered by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to pay out $71,000 in fines related to illegally disposing of asbestos and other waste near an aquifer. Clayton Kuhles, of Prescott, Arizona, was charged with dumping by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The state charged Kuhles with ten civil counts, and Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Barth instructed Kuhles to pay a $46,100 penalty related to the first seven counts and $25,000 connected to the ninth count.
"The judge's ruling underscores the importance of pollution prevention and careful management of asbestos and hazardous waste at landfills," ADEQ Director Benjamin Grumbles said. "ADEQ is committed to working with businesses to reduce risks to Arizona's citizens and natural resources, and this ruling sends a strong signal that it doesn't pay to put people and aquifers at risk."
Exposure to even a small amount of asbestos can cause serious health issues, including mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Mesothelioma may take decades to develop, but once the first symptoms have appeared the cancer can progress rapidly.
"The findings of the court in this case are consistent with the complaints that the town has related to the demolition," Dewey-Humboldt Town Manager William Emerson said. "A permit is required from the town before demolition, and we certainly would have made sure that the asbestos issues were addressed in coordination with ADEQ had the owner contacted us in advance."
"Asbestos is a health hazard that can affect the whole community," Emerson said. "Sometimes it is difficult or expensive to minimize the impact one property has on its neighbors, but effective communication between all the parties, including the town, can make the best of a bad situation. That did not happen here, unfortunately, but we hope that future discussions about the mine area will be more timely and helpful for everyone involved."