April 27th, 2008
A court awarded a company more than $6 million this week after the company sued the Air Force on behalf of a home builder. The suit alleged that the Air Force tried to shift the cost of removing asbestos from the ground to the developer, delaying the completion of the project.
Once the Air Force started cleaning a site in Colorado, the developer thought homes would be built soon. But after the developer told the Air Force that they would not be reimbursing them for the abatement, the Air Force sued the developer to get payment. The suit led to a halt in work, costing the developer millions of dollars while the homes were on hold. The developer countersued, and won $6.4 million this week.
The site of the building project was on an old Air Force base, and asbestos was found in the soil. The developer stated it was the Air Force’s job to clean the site, since they were the previous owners. The asbestos needed to be removed, since building homes stirs up debris and disturbs the earth on the building site. When the site contains asbestos, development can lead to the material becoming airborne, a situation that has been linked to mesothelioma, asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma and other diseases caused by asbestos exposure can be deadly, and are a health concern to the public.
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