Asbestos News Roundup: 8.23.12 – DIY Renovation Asbestos Risk

August 23rd, 2012. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of. An ongoing list of reported asbestos hot spots in the US from the Asbestos News Roundup archive appears on our asbestos map.

Do-It-Yourself Home Renovation Asbestos Risk

Many people decide to renovate their homes, not knowing fully, the dangers that may lurk within the walls, ceilings or floors of their homes. Those dangers can include asbestos in older homes. For example, asbestos siding was commonly used in construction years ago, making older homes a danger zone for asbestos mesothelioma. Like flooring, siding material was covered by asbestos to make it more durable and fire retardant. When these materials are disturbed—ripped off or torn out for example, they release asbestos fibers into the air, which people in immediate proximity then breathe in.

Equally important, when considering renovations, is hiring a reputable contractor who has the appropriate qualifications and licensing to remove asbestos. It is possible to be duped, as the case below brought by the state of New Jersey, shows.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Woodbridge, NJ: William T. Muzzio Jr., a 50-year old contractor living in Woodbridge, has been charged by a state grand jury with dozens of counts of unlicensed asbestos abatement in connection with asbestos work that his unlicensed business performed at numerous homes and schools, including nine schools in Woodbridge Township.

Woodbridge is facing 36 counts of removing or encapsulating asbestos without a license and two counts of forging documents saying he was licensed to remove the hazardous material, among other charges, according to the NJ Attorney General’s office.

New Jersey state agencies began investigating Muzzio and his business, Citadel Environmental Consultants, in March after a daycare facility in Union Township, NJ hired Muzzio to remove pipe insulation containing asbestos from its basement boiler room and it was discovered that Muzzio wasn’t licensed to perform the work.

The Department of Labor and Division of Criminal Justice conducted inspections in March at the daycare facility and allegedly discovered dust and debris containing asbestos in the boiler room and an adjacent crawl space.

Muzzio had allegedly performed unlicensed asbestos encapsulation at nine public schools in Woodbridge between April, 2011 and June, 2011. Rather than remove the asbestos, Muzzio was hired to seal the insulation that contained asbestos to prevent it from being broken up and released into the air. In four of the schools, he allegedly removed asbestos floor tiles.

The schools in Woodbridge in which Muzzio allegedly removed or treated asbestos are:

• Woodbridge High School, Woodbridge

• Colonia High School, Colonia

• John F. Kennedy High School, Iselin

• Kennedy Park School, Iselin

• Matthew Jago Elementary School, Sewaren

• Oak Ridge Heights School, Colonia

• Woodbridge Middle School, Woodbridge

• Ross Street School, Woodbridge

• Fords Middle School, Fords

(woodbridgepatch.com)

Asbestos Law

Saratoga Springs, NY: Springs Housing Authority is facing fines brought by New York state for failing to perform an asbestos survey on a property that it had demolished and contained the potentially hazardous material.

The state Labor Department slapped the SSHA with a $1,000 civil penalty for tearing down a home at 36 Allen Drive that it managed for the Saratoga Springs Affordable Housing Group, according to records obtained this week through a Freedom of Information request. The state also cited the SSHA for using an unlicensed and non-certified contractor to handle the material that contained the asbestos, records state.

The building was demolished in 2009 for new housing units, according to the documents. The state received a complaint about the project on Feb. 26, 2010, and inspected the site days later. Results from lab tests on materials from the site indicated the home’s linoleum flooring “was at least 35 percent asbestos,” according to the state Labor Department. (timesunion.com)

Tags: Asbestos, asbestos lawsuit, Asbestos Mesothelioma, Asbestos Settlement

This was posted on Thursday, August 23rd, 2012 at 2:21 pm and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.