DES MOINES, Iowa -- A Eastern Iowa man is paying a hefty fine for illegally burning trailer homes containing asbestos more than two years ago.
The Iowa Attorney General's Office says Joel G. Thys of Belle Plaine has agreed to pay $35,000 and admits in a settlement with the state that he violated solid waste and air quality laws.
In the petition, the AG's Office says that in February 2017, Thys created an estimated 20-foot pile of trees and five trailer homes on his property in Belle Plaine, near his car dealership and a residential area. The local fire chief told Thys not to burn the mixed pile of debris, and the city denied his request to burn the pile.
"Aware he did not have any approval, Thys still decided to burn the pile around 3:00 a.m. on Feb. 23. A DNR employee noted that the pile remained hot and smoking on March 3, and Iowa OSHA noted the debris was still smoldering on March 22. Samples taken from the debris confirmed the presence of asbestos" the Attorney General's Office says.
The office says before the 2017 burn, the DNR had cited Thys twice for open burning violations and once for asbestos violations.
Asbestos is a hazardous air pollutant known to cause cancer.