Editorial: No special favors for this company

Tuesday, April 18, 2000 | 9:58 a.m.

Michael Carbaugh hoped to get a break. Carbaugh, the owner of Desert Environmental Inc., had been fined $279,500 by the Clark County Health District. Officials charged that the company failed in 1998 to properly remove asbestos from the former Sierra Nevada Arms Apartments, which had been slated for demolition. On Thursday, however, the Air Pollution Control Hearing Board rejected Carbaugh's request.

This wasn't a case of a company accused of a minor infraction. There was a complete breakdown on the part of Desert Environmental to ensure that the public was protected from the risks posed by asbestos. As the Sun's Mary Manning mentioned in her story Friday about the health district's action, asbestos is a carcinogen and a serious threat to the lungs, chest and abdominal cavity. The health district's staff noted that the company didn't take steps to contain the asbestos within the building, allowing the asbestos-containing debris to be strewn about the land that was near homes and town houses.

Despite Carbaugh's plea, he sure didn't act as if he was too concerned with the penalty, which is the largest pollution fine ever in Clark County. Carbaugh waited until one day before the hearing -- he claimed he was "somewhere in Kansas" -- to call the health district and ask that the matter be delayed. The health district's staff noted that he didn't leave a phone number, fax number or even an address during the call. In light of the severity of the danger the company posed to nearby residents, and the lackadaisical attitude displayed by Carbaugh, the Air Pollution Control Hearing Board was entirely correct in upholding the fine.