Police Still Probing Florida Illegal Asbestos Dumping

December 26, 2006 - More than two months after officials discovered asbestos on a previously-cleared lot in Marco Island, FL, police are still questioning persons of interest in the case, which is looking more and more like an instance of illegal dumping.

Marco Island police chief Roger Reinke told the Naples News that locals must have “patience to allow his investigators to finish gathering evidence.” He notes that a conclusion to the case is still "several weeks" away.

The 1.1 acre lot, which is to be the site of the city’s new Veterans Park, was certified clear of asbestos back in April.  In early October, residents of the area discovered large chunks of asbestos on the lot and notified city officials.  This surprised local officials, as they were in possession of recent photographs of the clean lot, which had been cleared by a local environmental consulting firm, American Management Resources Corporation (AMRC).

According to the newspaper account, last Wednesday, approximately 19 tarped dump trucks transported 342 cubic yards of soil from the site to the Collier County landfill, said AMRC president Jack Snider. He expected work to continue until the end of next week.

"Why are these big pieces there?" Snider asked, standing by the site Wednesday. "Why do we have photographs of it being clean and then we find a patch of debris right on top of the stakes?"

Some residents, however, don’t believe the asbestos was dumped illegally.  Many think that old asbestos rose to the surface during particularly vicious summer storms. 

"If I was a betting man, which I'm not, that's what I'd put my money on," said Councilman Ted Forcht. "I have a hard time believing there was any maliciousness involved."