Grant PUD probes employee gambling

WANAPUM DAM - Grant PUD officials said in April they investigated a report of employee gambling with work equipment that possibly coincided with asbestos exposure at Wanapum Dam.

The state Department of Labor and Industries was contacted by the district because of the asbestos allegation and no basis was found for a fine, said Dorothy Harris, a district spokesperson.

 Air testing revealed a pad on the generators showed higher-than-permissible levels of asbestos exposure, she said.

The district replaced all breaks with nonasbestos breaks, she said.

It happened while employees were allegedly playing a game of "rotor roulette" with PUD equipment.

To play, rotor poles are numbered and the number selected when the rotor was stopped during brake maintenance.

The pot was up to $4,200 for a winning number.

The state did not take any action regarding the gambling.