A man, who was accused of hiring homeless men to remove asbestos from his building without the proper protective gear, was sentenced earlier this week.

The man will spend 21 months in a county jail and endure three years of supervision upon his release.

Unsafe Working Conditions

John Edward Callahan, a previous building contractor, was accused of hiring three homeless men in 2005 to take asbestos down from the ceiling and pipes in the State and City Building.

Callahan reportedly only gave the men raincoats, goggles and paper breathing masks to wear while working.

The men cut down the asbestos without stirring or wetting it and when the men ate lunch, they removed their masks.

When the asbestos was taken down, it was packed into trash bags and sent to a landfill as opposed to a hazardous-materials facility as state laws require.

Employer Without a License

According to reports, Callahan’s company, Environmental Construction, did not have a license to be handling the asbestos and Callahan was not trained to be delegating asbestos related responsibilities.

Callahan’s construction license was revoked and his company has since gone out of business.

(Source: The Roanoke Times)

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