New Jersey man John Deck, owner of J.A.D., Inc., faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for his alleged part in a conspiracy that caused tons of asbestos-contaminated construction waste to be dumped on an unauthorized site.
The contaminated site is a 192 acre former dairy farm near the New Jersey town of Frankfort. Deck allegedly created a fake permit that he used to trick trucking companies into transporting the waste to the farm. According to a federal criminal complaint, suspicion was raised around Oct. 5, 2006, when “One of victim #1′s truck driver(s) reported that the site did not appear to be a legitimate solid waste management facility, but rather a farmer’s field.”
According to the EPA, the asbestos on the site is contained under a synthetic cover, but it is too little, too late for many in the area. Nearby resident Alice King expressed her frustration, “So he pleas guilty – whoopee. What’s that going to do? He poisoned the whole … town.”
If found guilty, in addition to prison time and fines, Deck will likely have to pay the cost of the remaining clean up as well as reimburse the federal Superfund for the money they paid for the temporary containment.
Residents are concerned that the temporary containment is not adequate and they are still at risk of asbestos exposure one of several deadly diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Tags: asbestos, mesothelioma
