A man living in Worcester, Massachusetts, was recently fined by the state for allegedly tearing down a building and failing to protect his workers from asbestos.
Asbestos fibers were reportedly located in the siding of the building and the man did not take the necessary precautions to prevent his workers from being exposed.
Asbestos Regulations Violated
Robert E. Peltier is the trustee of T.C.B Reality and own the building that was demolished on Sutton Lane.
“The laws are very specific that if you have asbestos-containing materials in the building, in this case, in the shingles, you have to handle them with care, because asbestos is a cancer-causing material,” says the spokesman for the State Department of Environmental Protection, Edmund Coletta.
The state asbestos regulations in Massachusetts require any building materials containing asbestos to be wet down and carefully removed in a closed off area.
DEP Fines Owner of Building
The DEP was reportedly informed about the illegal asbestos removal by an anonymous tip who claims they saw workers tearing down the building without taking steps to prevent the asbestos from becoming airborne.
“The shingles are broken up by demolition or being dropped on the ground and put asbestos fibers into the ambient air around the site,” explains Coletta. “The workers could breathe them in, and they could travel from the site as well and affect others.” Peltier has been fined $50,412.50 for his violations.
(Source: Telegram)
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