Document text
Click Here 48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, March 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 13, 2004 Two plead guilty in asbestos case They removed floor tiles in 1999 without following procedures By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Two Southern Oregon men have pleaded guilty to illegally removing asbestos- containing floor tiles from an Ashland elementary school. William Richardson, head of the maintenance department for the Ashland School District, and Alan J. Koebrick, a self-employed carpet installer from Medford, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Medford’s U.S. District Court to a felony violation of the federal Clean Air Act for their involvement in the illegal removal of tiles from the Walker Elementary School in Ashland in 1999, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Medford. In a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, the government said it will recommend a sentence of not more than 10 months imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for May 10 in Medford. Koebrick’s attorney, Ellen Pitcher of the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Portland, said she hopes her client will receive probation instead of jail time. "He wanted to minimize the risk of going to jail," Pitcher said in explaining why her client didn’t want to go to trial. "He’s relieved that this is coming to a close." Advertisement In August 1999, Koebrick, then working for an area carpet company that no longer exists (Carpet Max), Richardson and five other school district employees were replacing carpeting at Walker Elementary School when they removed old floor tiles without following environmental practices for handling asbestos, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ashland School Superintendent Juli Di Chiro, said Thursday she was not aware of the plea agreement. However, she said that in 1999 when the tiles were found to contain asbestos, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and OSHA officials tested the air at Walker and found it to be safe. "They both felt that we only had procedural things we needed to fix and some training issues," she said. One of the changes investigators recommended was for the district to regularly notify parents of the existence of asbestos in all Ashland schools. She said that is now common practice. Asbestos, a cancer-causing substance when it becomes an airborne dust and is breathed into the lungs, was used commonly in building materials until the 1970s. It is considered dangerous when disturbed. The two defendants were indicted Feb. 14, 2003. Neither the company Koebrick worked for nor the school district were charged with any crimes. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the two men admitted removing approximately 3,800 square feet of asbestos tile without following any of the required work practice standards. The asbestos was disposed of illegally in a Dumpster. Richardson continues as chief of maintenance for Ashland schools. Di Chiro declined Wednesday to say whether the plea would affect his employment status. "As far as I know we haven’t had any further incidents," said Di Chiro, who was hired after the 1999 incident. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times