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A settlement was recently reached with Vermont state officials regarding a five year old lawsuit against Vermont Asbestos Group. The company has agreed to oversee the clean-up of their asbestos mine that has been closed for twenty years. The lawsuit agreement will cost the Vermont Asbestos Group company approximately 30 million dollars in insurance money for proper clean-up, securing the site and payment of environmental penalties.
In 1975, a group of employees of the asbestos mine pooled their resources and purchased the company from GAF Corporation, forming the Vermont Asbestos Group. Throughout the following two decades, the mine prospered and successfully employed many people in the surrounding areas of Lowell and Eden, among other local areas.
The mine operated successfully because asbestos was commonly used for building due to its natural fireproof properties. Once the toxicity of asbestos was realized, however, the asbestos market collapsed, and the mine was shut down in 1993. The Vermont Asbestos Group did not perform a clean-up at the time of the mine closure due to financial problems.
As time passed, the toxicity of the asbestos from the former mine site began to adversely affect local wildlife and surrounding neighborhoods. As a result, the state agency, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, filed a lawsuit against the company in 2008.
Under the terms of the asbestos lawsuit settlement, the Vermont Asbestos Group must procure 30 million dollars in insurance money to properly clean-up the asbestos mining site. Moreover, the company is responsible for securing and caring for the property. The agreement also requires the Vermont Asbestos Group to reimburse the state of Vermont $5,000 annually for ten years.
Since the closure of the mine, the state of Vermont has spent $460,000 managing the former site. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expended over four million dollars attempting to prevent the lethal asbestos from further eroding from the mining site and causing more problems for the surrounding population. The settlement of this lawsuit holds the owner of the mine responsible for the past and future clean-up expenses.
If you or a family member has been exposed to asbestos, contact the Philadelphia asbestos attorneys at the law firm of Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler. With offices in Center City Philadelphia, we are conveniently located to represent asbestos victims throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Our asbestos attorneys are compassionate and caring professionals who understand the sensitive nature of asbestos-related diseases, as well as the legal complexities of asbestos cases. Call us today at 800-369-0899 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.