Two Washington men and their companies were placed on probation for their improper removal of materials laden with asbestos, which is known to cause cancer.
Adobe Stock imageTHE GORGE — On Thursday, April 3, Ronald Chamness of Chamness Dirt Works and Ryan Richter of Horseshoe Grove LLC were sentenced to probation for knowingly violating the Clean Air Act National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.
U.S. District Court Judge Marco Hernández sentenced Chamness to three years supervised probation and his company to five years of probation. Richter was also sentenced to three years probation and his company to five years probation.
The two were charged on Nov. 19, 2024, when prosecutors filed information that said they intentionally ignored precautions for the safe removal of friable Chrysotile asbestos and non-friable asbestos in various building materials, including siding and flooring, throughout old apartments in The Dalles. Known to cause cancer, friable asbestos poses a significant risk if fibers are released into the air, whereas non-friable asbestos can still be dangerous, but fibers are less likely to be released due to its resistance to deterioration.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon, Richter purchased property in The Dalles, which included a mobile home park and two dilapidated apartment buildings, in November 2022. A study done by the previous property owner found more than 5,000 square feet of friable asbestos.
The DOJ press release stated: “Richter received an asbestos survey completed in 2021 which reported over 5,000 square feet of asbestos within the dilapidated structures. Richter also received a demolition estimate from Chamness Dirt Works to sample, test and remove asbestos containing materials but excluded the costs for asbestos abatement.”
In March 2023, Horsehsoe Grove paid Chamness Dirt Works $49,330 for the demolition.
“Despite these findings, Horseshoe Grove failed to implement the necessary precautions for asbestos removal,” said the press release. Additionally, Chamness reportedly did not hire a certified abatement contractor or wet the asbestos-containing debris and dumped the material in a regular landfill, putting many residents, employees and sanitation workers at risk, prosecutors said on Thursday.
In February, the two men pleaded guilty, and as part of their plea agreement, Richter and Chamness agreed to conduct asbestos remediation on the property. According to Richter’s attorney, the property has been remediated and cleaned, and remaining contaminated materials have been properly disposed.
Prior to sentencing, the two men and their businesses faced fines up to $500,000.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation and it was prosecuted by Bryan Chinwuba, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
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