Robert Langill, a supervisor with an asbestos removal company in Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to exposing workers to asbestos during an abatement project at a Maryland Naval Air Station in 2003. He could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and could be fined up to $25,000 for not following safe practices in removing asbestos panels from buildings at the Naval Air Station. Told to remove asbestos-containing transite panels from three buildings, Langill had workers break up the panels with hammers and crowbars over a three month period. Breaking up the panels releases asbestos fibers into the air, and inhaling those fibers can trigger the development of various asbestos-related cancers, including mesothelioma–which attacks the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart. From the outset, Langill violated the law by not reporting the asbestos removal project to the Maryland Department of the Environment and outlining a plan for safe removal of the asbestos. In some areas, Langill did not have the panels adequately wet down to prevent asbestos fibers from becoming airborne. And broken pieces of panel were placed in unsealed and unlabeled bags, another safety violation. Langill will be sentenced on January 10, 2008. The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have said that they will continue to prosecute those who violate the law and put people at risk for harmful asbestos exposure.
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