Consolidated Minerals, Inc. and Charleston Shipbuilders, Inc. Pay $100,000 for Clean Air Act Violations in Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 4, 1998--The Environmental Protection Agency announced today the settlement of a civil action against Consolidated Minerals, Inc. and Charleston Shipbuilders, Inc. in Charleston, SC. The companies were cited for alleged violations of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Asbestos under the Clean Air Act and South Carolina's Standard of Performance for Asbestos Projects.

The settlement requires Consolidated Minerals, Inc. to pay $100,000 to the United States Treasury and Charleston Shipbuilders, Inc. to pay $100,000 to the State of South Carolina for alleged violations of federal and state requirements for the removal and disposal of asbestos. Although the companies have agreed to pay the fine, they deny the allegations in the case.

The alleged violations, which resulted from renovation and demolition activities aboard the USS Robinson, were detected during joint Federal and State inspections. The USS Robinson is a retired direct guided missile destroyer docked at the former Charleston Naval Shipyard.

Asbestos demolitions and removal activities are regulated under NESHAP for Asbestos and South Carolina Standards of Performance for Asbestos Projects. Companies that contract to scrap obsolete ships which includes the removal and disposal of asbestos are required to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.