FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         ENR
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1995                         (202) 514-2008
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


          HERCULES AGREES TO RECORD ASBESTOS SETTLEMENT


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An international manufacturer of industrial
chemicals and other products will pay a record fine to settle
allegations that it improperly handled and removed asbestos
during the 1992-93 demolition of an office building outside of
Roanoke, Virginia, the Justice Department said today.  

     Hercules Inc., a Delaware company, will pay $1.2 million --
the largest settlement under the Clean Air Act's asbestos
regulations -- according to the terms of a consent decree filed
in a Virginia federal court.   According to the Justice
Department, Hercules and its contractor, Carver Massie Carver,
failed to follow standard asbestos removal procedures while
demolishing a Hercules-owned building in Covington, Virginia. 
Alleged violations include:

     þ    Failed to notify EPA prior to demolition

     þ    Did not adequately wet asbestos during stripping and 
             removal operations

     þ    Did not adequately wet asbestos prior to transport and 
             disposal

     þ    Failed to dispose of asbestos-containing waste in a 
             timely manner 

     Exposure to asbestos, and in particular asbestos fibers,
poses serious health risks including cancer and asbestosis, a
disease marked by scarring of the lungs.  Federal law requires
anyone renovating or demolishing structures with at least 160
square feet of asbestos-containing material to notify EPA, state
and local agencies 10 days prior.  To prevent the spread of
fibers through the air, federal standards also require asbestos
to be wet during removal and containment.  

                              -MORE-
     "This settlement makes it very clear that there's a price to
pay for ignoring federal asbestos laws," said Lois J. Schiffer,
Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural
Resources Division.  

     As part of the settlement, Hercules also agreed to a series
of steps to ensure future compliance with asbestos regulations. 
The company will appoint a national asbestos coordinator to
review all demolition and renovation projects at all of its U.S.
facilities.  It will also require all supervisors and line
workers to be specially trained to handle asbestos safely.

     "It's good to see Hercules step forward and agree to
measures that will help prevent future environmental violations,"
added Schiffer.

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