GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A woman and two men from Southwest Michigan are facing up to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty in what investigators say may have been the largest release of asbestos in Michigan since the material was declared a hazardous air pollutant in 1971.
Cory Hammond, of Hastings, and LuAnne LaBrie and Robert "Mike" White, both of Kalamazoo, each pleaded guilty Wednesday to violating the Clean Air Act, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Grand Rapids.
LaBrie, formerly known as LuAnne McClain, plead guilty to failing to notify federal or state authorities that asbestos material would be stripped and removed at the former Consumers Energy power generation facility in Comstock Township.
Hammond and White, meanwhile, each pleaded guilty to failing to adequately wet asbestos material while stripping and removing asbestos inside the facility.
The asbestos release, according to prosecutors, led to a $1 million cleanup by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Division.
According to federal authorities, the case against LaBrie, Hammond and White began in 2011 when they agreed to "salvage valuable material from the facility and share in the proceeds."
LaBrie controlled and supervised the facility, which was located at 6800 E. Michigan Ave., and visited the site on a regular basis and communicated regularly with Hammond and White about the salvage operation, investigators said.
"Despite knowing that Hammond, White, and other laborers were stripping and removing asbestos insulation from pipes and facility components, LaBrie failed to notify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the State of Michigan that the salvage operation would involve the removal of asbestos inside the facility," prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Hammond and White admitted to failing to properly wet asbestos material at the site "that had been stripped and removed until it was collected and sealed in a leak-tight container to prevent the release of asbestos particulates during the salvage operation."
LaBrie, Hammond and White have agreed to pay restitution to the EPA for the cost of the cleanup at the site.
"Companies and individuals handling regulated asbestos material must follow basic workplace practices designed to protect both the workers who handle the hazardous material and the air we breathe," U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles said. "Those who attempt to evade the law by cutting corners to maximize profits and harm our environment will be held accountable for their actions.
The case against LaBrie, Hammond and White was investigated by the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Environmental Investigation Section and the Internal Revenue Service.
LaBrie is scheduled to be sentenced April 23 by U.S. District Judge Gordon J. Quist. Hammond and White are scheduled to be sentenced July 6 by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker.
Rex Hall Jr. is a public safety reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette. You can reach him at rhall2@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter.