Modern Continental is the second Big Dig firm criminally charged in the fatal ceiling collapse. Powers Fasteners, which supplied the epoxy, has been indicted for manslaughter. The company also settled a civil suit for $6 million. Meanwhile, Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the project’s manager, settled with the state and federal government for $450 million to avoid charges.
Federal investigators have charged Modern Continental, a major Big Dig construction contractor, with lying about the quality of their work in two sections of the project, areas where there were later slurry wall breaches and a fatal ceiling panel collapse.
Investigators say Modern Continental knew in 1999 the epoxy used in the Interstate 90 connector tunnel’s ceiling anchor bolt hanger system was not appropriate for long-term loads. But they say the company certified the work anyway and did not act to fix the problem. On July 10, 2006, multiple ceiling panels collapsed, crushing a vehicle and killing one of its occupants — Milena Del Valle, 38, of Jamaica Plain.
Modern Continental has also been charged with knowingly failing to meet the standards for the slurry mix used in the concrete walls in the Tip O’Neil Tunnel and also certified that concrete panels, which were later found to be defective, met the necessary standards. In September 2004, a breach in the tunnel’s slurry wall caused major traffic problems. Hundreds of leaks were later revealed by Big Dig officials.
In addition, the company was charged with over-billing the Big Dig for hundreds of thousands of dollars by falsely categorizing workers on the project. In all, Modern Continental reportedly faces $24.5 million in fines from the charges.
The charges were announced Friday by U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan’s office. According to The Associated Press, Modern Continental responded to the allegations in a statement, calling the charges “completely unfounded and without merit,” adding the charges were “an attempt after the fact to criminalize actions” that were approved by state officials.
