Nine People Charged in Illegal Asbestos Removal Case

Nine people were charged on Aug. 4, 2011, following a federal investigation into asbestos removal at a Buffalo, N.Y., housing complex slated to be demolished. Among those charged were two building officials for the city of Buffalo and a New York Labor Department inspector, the Associated Press reports.

Two companies contracted to remove asbestos from the site and monitor air sampling at the six-building Kensington Tower site were also charged. According to the Associated Press, investigators found that workers for Johnson Contracting of WNY Inc. allegedly used a jackhammer to cut holes in the floors and dumped asbestos-containing debris through them with the intention of leaving the material on site while the eight-story buildings were demolished.

According to the report, each building contained an estimated 63,000 square feet of asbestos-containing material.

A second company, JMD Environmental Inc., Grand Island, N.Y., was charged with allegedly failing to conduct proper air sampling and filing false reports certifying that all asbestos had been removed. The two companies are charged with violating the federal Clean Air Act.

Crews are reportedly doing remedial work at the site to contain the material. Officials say the buildings currently do not pose a health threat because of the remedial work being done.