A Michigan woman who was behind an asbestos exposure case that allegedly led to the largest recovery of the hazardous material in the state’s history faces a $700,000 restitution fine and will spend three years on probation, according to court documents.

Earlier this year, LuAnne LaBrie and her two co-defendants, Cory Hammond and Robert “Mike” White, who supervised the salvage operations to recover and recycle materials from the old Consumers Energy generating plant at Morrow Dam in Comstock plead guilty to asbestos abatement misconduct charges.

The Environmental Protection Agency claims LaBrie, Hammond and White violated the Clean Air Act by not following procedures to safely remove asbestos, in an effort to cut costs and increase the bottom line.

According to the asbestos lawsuit, the three supervisors of the facility visited the plant site and communicated regularly about the salvage operation. Despite knowledge that workers were stripping and removing asbestos-laden insulation from pipes in the former energy plant, they failed to notify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the State of Michigan that the operation involved removal of the toxic material inside the facility.

In addition to releasing dangerous asbestos fibers into the air, workers who took part in the salvage operation were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis. Court documents from the case state:

“…not everyone wore protective gear all of the time inside of the plant. Some of the workers not removing asbestos wore their street clothes at the facility, which means any asbestos fibers that landed on their clothing and shoes would be transported to their homes where they would expose others to asbestos fibers …One laborer said that workers who wore masks were told to make a filter last an entire week rather than replace them every day, presumably to save money.”

Dangers of Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos abatement is performed commonly in older homes and historic structures. Asbestos abatement performed under strict conditions by a skilled contractor can be quite effective, removing the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.

However, when not done properly, removal of the harmful material can pose a serious health threat. Asbestos fibers, when disturbed or when it begins to deteriorate, are released into the air and inhaled. To date, companies which have exposed their employees to asbestos have faced thousands of lawsuits and settled hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Asbestos is mainly used as an insulating material – it is a very effective fire retardant material, hence its use to insulate boilers, pipes, and fire doors; it’s used in roofing and many construction materials, and in electrical fittings. The types of work environments where a laborer is most likely to encounter asbestos include mines, shipyards, railroads, power plants, and construction sites.

If you or a loved one is suffering from lung cancer, mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases caused by exposure to asbestos, you may qualify for damages or remedies that may be awarded in a possible asbestos lawsuit.