ALASKA MAN AND COMPANY RECEIVED HEAVY SENTENCES FOR...

[GROUP PRESS 202-260-4355]

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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2001

ALASKA MAN AND COMPANY RECEIVE HEAVY
SENTENCES FOR ASBESTOS RELATED OFFENSES

On January 12, Ricky Rushing and his company, Technic Services Inc. (TSI), were sentenced for illegally removing
and disposing of asbestos at the Alaska Pulp Mill in Sitka. Rushing was sentenced to 57 months incarceration,
ordered to pay a fine of $520,000, and serve three years probation. He was previously convicted by a jury of
violating the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), as well as for obstruction of justice. TSI, which
was convicted of violating the CAA and CWA, was sentenced to pay a fine of $600,000 and must serve five years
probation. During the illegal asbestos removal at the pulp mill, substantial amounts of asbestos- contaminated
slurry was rinsed into floor drains emptying directly into Silver Bay. Rushing also directed his employees to sign
documentation disavowing any knowledge of these practices. Furthermore, Rushing induced his employees to remove or
otherwise tamper with their personal monitors that indicated asbestos exposure levels. Improper asbestos removal
practices can lead to inhalation of asbestos fibers. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause a lung disease known
as "asbestosis," and mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. This case was investigated by
EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, EPA's Office of Air Quality, and the Alaska Department of Labor, with the
assistance of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's
Office for the District of Alaska in Anchorage.

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