New York building owner to be penalized for improper asbestos removal

Nov 12, 2009

The owner of the former Classy Leather Goods warehouse in Middletown, New York will be penalized for improper removal of asbestos, based on an October 14 tip when a city building inspector found workers ready to leave the property in a van to dump bags of asbestos-containing materials. The operation was shut down on the spot and the area has been sealed up.

The Department of Labor sent an inspector from the Asbestos Control Bureau the next day, who discovered that the facility was filled with asbestos. Another warehouse tenant said that workers were breaking it up with sledge hammers without wearing any sort of masks or protective gear. Asbestos is a known carcinogen. When its fibers are inhaled, it can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

The property owner will be cited for failing to use a certified contractor for asbestos removal, using workers who were not certified to perform asbestos removal and completing the asbestos removal job improperly.

For the full story, go to Times Herald-Record.

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