The three state-provided houses on the hatchery grounds ensure that workers like Ted Daggett and Rich Watson can quickly respond if something goes wrong at the hatchery, run by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Their houses had been insulated with asbestos. Problems with the asbestos had been known as far back as 1988. But attempts to remove it didn't start until 1995. The first removal attempt used an uncertified contractor.
Workers say asbestos debris remained scattered about when the job was supposedly done.
Next, a certified contractor was called in for emergency removal, but the fish hatchery workers later learned problems remained. A friend of Watson's, who was a former certified asbestos remover, visited one day and detected asbestos particles in vents and other locations. The workers pressed again for a re-test of the air. Then one night this past October, the phone rang. Watson and his wife got out.