Ricky Rushing was convicted of violating the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, as well as of the obstruction of justice, for the illegal removal of asbestos, during which substantial amounts of asbestos-contaminated slurry was rinsed into floor drains emptying directly into a waterway. His company, Technic Services Inc, was also convicted of violating both acts, and has been ordered to pay $600,000 and to serve five years probation.
Rushing was also found to have directed his employees to sign documentation disavowing any knowledge of the illegal practices at the mill, and induced his employees to remove or tamper with their personal monitors that indicated asbestos exposure levels.
This case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, EPA’s Office of Air Quality, and the Alaska Department of Labour, with the assistance of EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Centre. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska in Anchorage.