A construction company based in Hood River, Oregon, and a property management firm from The Dalles, along with their owners, have admitted guilt in a case involving asbestos violations. The charges include breaching asbestos work standards and negligent endangerment by releasing a hazardous pollutant, contrary to the Clean Air Act.
Horseshoe Grove, LLC, the property management company, confessed to breaking asbestos work practice regulations. Its owner and operator, Ryan Richter, 44, from The Dalles, acknowledged negligent endangerment due to discharging a hazardous pollutant.
Chamness Dirt Works Inc., a construction and demolition firm, also pleaded guilty to infringing asbestos work practice standards. Ronald Chamness, 58, the company's owner and president from Hood River, similarly admitted to negligent endangerment for releasing a hazardous pollutant.
Court documents reveal that in November 2022 Horseshoe Grove acquired a mobile home rental site with around thirty tenant spaces. Two deteriorating structures on the property were identified as containing over 5,000 square feet of asbestos according to a 2021 survey. Despite this knowledge and receiving an estimate for demolition excluding asbestos abatement costs from Chamness Dirt Works, Richter proceeded with demolition without proper measures.
In February 2023 Chamness Dirt Works was contracted by Richter and Horseshoe Grove to demolish the two structures known to contain asbestos. On February 20 of that year Chamness received an estimate from an abatement contractor for safe removal but failed to engage them or adhere to federal safety regulations during demolition.
Charges were filed on November 19, 2024 against Richter, Chamness, Horseshoe Grove, and Chamness Dirt Works for negligent endangerment and breaching the Clean Air Act's asbestos work standards.
Both Richter and Chamness could face up to one year in prison alongside fines reaching $100,000 each plus five years of supervised release. Their companies may receive sentences including five years' probation with fines up to $500,000 each. As part of their plea deal both owners have agreed to undertake asbestos remediation at the site. Sentencing is scheduled for April 3rd before U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández.
The Environmental Protection Agency conducted the investigation while Bryan Chinwuba serves as prosecuting Assistant U.S. Attorney for Oregon.