June 28th, 2005

Asbestos waste that is currently being used as a dam in a Dodge County pond has to be cleaned up. The responsibility for the clean-up lies with the church, a contractor, the city, and a local landowner. The asbestos is part of some construction waste, which is the material that has been used to make the dam. City officials have stated that as long as the responsible parties clean up the asbestos waste and attend training on asbestos dangers, there will be no fines imposed.

Mary Sheffield, the state Environmental Protection Division program manager for the Albany district, stated, "For folks that may not be aware of asbestos or solid waste regulations - to use this material in construction projects is really not a good idea." The involved parties are also being asked to sponsor and attend local seminars to provide education and information about asbestos.

The problem began when church officials hired a contractor to undertake some demolition work and asked the contractor to get rid of the waste. When the waste was refused at the local landfills, a landowner asked for it to be dumped into his pond to work as a dam.

Officials have confirmed that none of the parties involved knew that the waste contained asbestos, which is why no fines will be imposed provided the clean-up is carried out and the seminars attended.