Florida DEP Investigates Illegal Dumping of Asbestos Materials by Highlands County Officials

Highlands County practice of dumping asbestos debris at county landfills violates both federal and Florida regulations. Even limited or secondary exposure to asbestos dusts is known to cause serious diseases, including mesothelioma cancer, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis.

In December 2009, the Sebring, Florida NewsSun reported on an investigation being conducted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) into the illegal dumping of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) and asbestos debris at the Highlands County Landfill and other sites in the city of Sebring.

76 ACM Fragments Found in 14 Sites in Sebring
The DEP investigation has led to the discovery of 12 additional sites where ACM was illegally dumped by the County. The DEP has also determined that large quantities of asbestos-containing pipe debris have been found at the Highlands County landfill.

According to the DEP project manager, the department has collected and analyzed 76 fragments found at 14 different locations in Sebring and those samples have all been found to contain non-friable ACM. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines non-friable asbestos as materials that cannot be easily pulverized, while friable asbestos can be crushed to dust under the weight of the human hand.

Public Health Risks
E-mail correspondence between Highlands County employees indicates that County Commissioners may have been aware that ACM had been illegally dumped since 2007. Further County e-mail correspondence suggests that possible health concerns to the public were not given appropriate attention.

Both friable and non-friable ACM pose a significant health risk to those who live or work in the areas where the ACM was dumped. Asbestos can erode into the soil, contaminate area groundwater, and asbestos dusts can contaminate the air.

The time between exposure to asbestos and when symptoms of an asbestos disease are discovered has a decades-long latency period. This means that those who have been recently exposed may not be aware of the consequences of their exposure for 30-40 or more years.

Serious Illnesses Caused by Asbestos Exposure
When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they remain in the lungs and are not easily expelled by coughing, sneezing or blowing one’s nose. Because microscopic asbestos fibers have sharp edges, they attach themselves to lung tissue.

Asbestos will eventually cause scarring of healthy lung tissue, which can result in chronic breathing diseases such as pleural plaques disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asbestosis.

In more serious instances, the asbestos will cause the lungs to produce abnormal cells that can lead to the development of lung cancer tumors.

How Weitz & Luxenberg Can Help
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we may be able to help you to seek justice for your illness and file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential asbestos lawsuit or request a free copy of our asbestos sourcebook. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.