4 Worcester Affiliated Companies to Pay up to $129K, Settling Asbestos Violation Allegations

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Friday, April 01, 2016

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Four companies affiliated with Worcester will pay as much as $129,000 in order to settle allegations that their workers illegally removed, stored, and handled asbestos-containing material during two demolition projects,and that one of the companies failed to pay a $54,714 penalty for prior asbestos violations.

The four companies are Patriots Environmental, Patriots Realty, Demo Realty, and CRB Demolition. Of the $129,000 civil penalty, $65,000 of it will be paid out over a two and a half year period.

The remaining $64,000 will be suspended if defendants comply with the payment schedule and cause no further asbestos violations.

“Improper handling of asbestos during construction and demolition work can cause serious health hazards. In order to prevent the exposure of workers, the public, and the environment to dangerous asbestos fibers, such projects must be conducted in strict accordance with state regulations, and we will vigorously pursue those who fail to comply with those safety requirements,” said Attorney General Maura Healey.

The Judgment

The judgment was entered on Thursday by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Dennis Curran and settles a lawsuit originally brought by the AG's Office in July of 2014 against Patriots Environmental for failing to follow proper procedures and safety precautions while removing asbestos-containing materials from a home in Sturbridge. The judgment also cited the company for failing to pay a $54,714 penalty assessed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for asbestos and hazardous waste violations.

The complaint was amended in July of 2015 to include allegations that Patriots Environmental owners were operating with three other companies, Demo Realty in Oxford, CRB Demolition Corp. in Charlton, and Patriots Realty, LLC, in Worcester, all of which they owned.

“Licensed asbestos contractors must follow the proper removal practices and storage requirements to protect workers and the public from being exposed to this known carcinogen. As this settlement reflects, MassDEP and the Attorney General’s office work together to take strong enforcement against companies that fail to comply with the asbestos regulations and put citizens of the Commonwealth at risk of exposure,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg.

Dangers of Asbestos

Proper handling of asbestos-containing materials during the construction and demolition work is necessary to protect human health.

Airborne asbestos fibers taken into the lungs by breathing may over time cause serious lung diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a serious, progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease for the lungs for which there is no known effective treatment.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin membranes of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart, and may not show up until many years after exposure.

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