March 14th, 2008

The former mayor of an Oklahoma town was sentenced this week after he was found guilty of endangering prisoners. The prisoners were working on a train depot that contained asbestos.

A prison sentence was handed down this week on a man that was once given the position of upholding the law. The former mayor of an Oklahoma town was sentenced to six months in prison after being found guilty of exposing prison inmates to asbestos. The prisoners were working on a railroad depot in 2003, and were exposed to asbestos while on the site. City officials stated that the man was in a position to know that asbestos was on site, and that prisoners should not have been working in the area without protective gear.

Licensed professionals normally handle asbestos only, although work being conducted around asbestos can be done with a license. Most workers need to have protective gear, however, if they are going to be working near asbestos since the material can become airborne. Airborne asbestos is a danger since it can be inhaled into the lungs, resulting in respiratory diseases like emphysema and mesothelioma. A type of lung cancer, mesothelioma is the result of asbestos fibers being trapped in the lungs and keeping the tissue from absorbing oxygen. The tissue dies, slowly suffocating the victim.