Vermont Flooring Company Settles Suit

Montpelier, VT, May 28, 2010--The Montpelier School District in Vermont has settled a lawsuit with a local flooring company over allegations of improper handling of asbestos at one of the district's schools.

In July 2008, an inspector from the Vermont Department of Health determined that workers at the flooring company Morrison-Clark did not properly handle or dispose of asbestos floor tiles that they removed from Main Street Middle School, according to the Times Argus newspaper.

"Specifically, Morrison-Clark failed to provide written notice to the EPA before starting the work, [failed] to wet the asbestos while stripping it and keep it wet until collected and contained for disposal and, also, failed to properly handle and dispose of asbestos-containing waste that was generated," the EPA wrote in court documents, the newspaper reported.

While the company did not admit to any misconduct, it agreed to settle the legal dispute, and its insurance company paid the school district $65,000.

Morrison-Clark also agreed to pay the EPA $27,500 for violations of the Clean Air Act and the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Asbestos, the newspaper said.