PLYMOUTH – Attorney General Andrea Campbell is announcing the resolution of a lawsuit against the companies in charge of decommissioning the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth for the improper handling, disposal and removal of asbestos-containing materials.
On March 1st, the Suffolk Superior Court entered a $200,000 consent judgment in the case versus Holtec Pilgrim LLC and Holtec Decommissioning International.
The judgment resolves allegations that the companies failed to comply with Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations while disposing of asbestos-contaminated paint and building materials during the demolition of certain components of the power station.
In the last eight years, the Massachusetts Attorney General and DEP have worked on asbestos enforcement cases that have resulted in nearly $8 million in civil penalties. Campbell says asbestos is a significant threat to residents’ health and the environment.
The attorney general also alleged that Holtec and HDI failed to survey and identify asbestos before demolition or notify MassDEP before performing the work.
The consent judgment prohibits Holtec and HDI from using funds from the Holtec Decommissioning Trust Fund, a fund created by charges to ratepayers over the life of a nuclear power plant to finance its decommissioning, to pay the penalty.
By Jim McCabe, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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