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(TOLEDO, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler announced that a Toledo man was sentenced today for charges related to asbestos removal and disposal during demolition of the former Champion Spark Plug facility on Upton Avenue in Toledo.

Donzell Moore, 41, pleaded guilty on June 4 to charges of complicity to remove asbestos without a certification or license and illegal disposal of construction and demolition debris.

He was sentenced today in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas to 30 days in jail (with work release eligibility), three years community control, and 240 hours of community service. He also was ordered to pay $25,274.37, jointly with his company, to Ohio EPA for clean-up and investigative costs. The court also reserved a 12-month prison sentence if Moore violates the terms of his community control.

Separately, Moore’s company, Moorhouse Real Estate Development LLC, was ordered to pay fines totaling $10,750. The company pleaded guilty to complicity to remove asbestos without a certification or license, removing asbestos without notifying Ohio EPA, and illegal disposal of construction and demolition debris.

In October 2012, Moore paid scrap worker Ronald Gibson, 57, to illegally remove and dispose of friable asbestos pipe insulation from the Champion facility in anticipation of demolishing the boiler building. Gibson, of Holland, Ohio, illegally disposed of the asbestos insulation in rural western Lucas County and in large trash bins behind an apartment complex in West Toledo.

“Our communities are not dumping grounds,” Attorney General DeWine said. “Those who dump dangerous materials illegally and on someone else’s property must be held accountable. In this case, Mr. Moore put Lucas County residents at risk, and now he is facing the consequences of his actions.”

“I take illegal dumping and asbestos disposal crimes very seriously. The people who commit this crime believe they are saving a few dollars, but in the process they put public health at risk,” said Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler. “I appreciate the public providing tips that led to the convictions, and thank our local, state and federal partners who brought these men to justice.”

The dump site in western Lucas County was discovered in November 2012 on private property off Old Stateline Road in Monclova Township. After evidence was collected, the asbestos insulation was cleaned up and properly disposed of by an Ohio EPA contractor.

Ohio EPA worked with the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation and U.S. EPA and, with help from public tips, the investigation led to Gibson. Gibson pleaded guilty to removing asbestos without a license or certification, removing asbestos without notifying Ohio EPA, and illegal disposal of construction and demolition debris.

Gibson was sentenced on April 15 to one year and 90 days in jail and a $750 fine on the latter two counts. He received three years’ community control including 160 hours of community service and was ordered to pay $5,374.37 in restitution. The jail time was suspended on the condition he completed the terms of his community control and cooperated in the prosecution of Moore and his company.

The criminal investigation was a collaboration of multiple agencies at the local, state, and federal level as part of the Northwest Ohio Environmental Crimes Task Force, which also included assistance from the Toledo Division of Environmental Services and Ohio Department of Health’s Environmental Abatement Section.

Attorneys with the Ohio Attorney General’s Environmental Enforcement Section, Criminal Prosecutions Unit, were appointed by the Lucas County Prosecutor to serve as special prosecutors for the cases.

Friable asbestos is easily crumbled and its fibers can become airborne. If inhaled into the lungs, it can cause serious health problems. For this reason, asbestos is a highly regulated material with special handling and disposal requirements. More information is available on the Ohio EPA’s website.

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Images

Old Stateline Road dump site, pre-cleanup (Source: Ohio EPA)

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