Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

While it’s possible for most people to enjoy nature without tearing through it off-road vehicles, some ATV loyalists demand the right to blaze through deserts and forests, even when their own health and safety is seriously compromised. Last year the federal Bureau of Land Management closed off the Clear Creek Management Area in central California to all public use. The 48-square-mile tract of land, known for its canyons, wildflowers, and towering rock formations, has been hailed as one of the best places in the world for ATV enthusiasts to let loose.

There’s only one problem. The park is home to the largest deposit of asbestos in the United States.

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A man diagnosed with mesothelioma earlier this year will receive a $7.5 million settlement against 11 defendants that reportedly made, supplied or distributed the asbestos-containing products he handled and was exposed to in the workplace, according to a story in the Times-Herald. Robert Hilt of Vallejo, Calif., is 64. It is believed he developed mesothelioma during his work as a marine machinist.

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In a news release dated Sept. 30, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it was fining the Los Angeles Department or Water and Power (LADWP) just over $9,000 for violations of the Clean Air Act asbestos regulations. In the release, the EPA says the city agency demolished structures without propertly notifying the EPA.

Although the LADWP owned the structures, located near Niland, Calif., government regulations still require that the EPA be notified of demolition before it occurs, in compliance with the Natural Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations for asbestos.

The measure is in place as a precaution, to avoid accidentally releasing harmful asbestos fibers into the air, says Deborah Jordan, director of the Air Division for the EPA’s Pacific and Southwest region. She is quoted as saying, “We can avoid creating a public health threat from airborne asbestos by following the safeguards required by law.”

The inhalation of asbestos can cause serious illness including asbestosis and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer affecting the lining of the lungs and abdomen.

The news release did not report any danger as a result of the building demolition.