Milwaukee Property Owner May Face Criminal Charges

A rare criminal case is currently being considered against a property owner in Milwaukee regarding a violation of the Clean Air Act.

According to federal documents, asbestos fibers were pouring down on workers without masks and protective suits when they removed heating pipes at an apartment building.

Illegal Asbestos Removal

The search warrant revealed last week claims that one of the owners at the New London apartment buildings, Michael D. Phillips, had asbestos illegally removed from the property.

Tenants of the building say that Phillips told them if they complained about the way he was removing the asbestos, he would evict them.

Phillips denies that he knew the asbestos was dangerous.

Owner Denies Knowing Dangers of Asbestos

Phillips claims that when he bought the building he figured he didn’t need an inspection since the bank didn’t require it.

All in all, workers removed an estimated 1,000 feet of pipes, which tenants claim were corroded with asbestos.

Reports even claim that the workers jumped on bags of asbestos to make them more compact, releasing the harmful substance into the air.

Mel Johnson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, who is working on the case, points out that illegally removing asbestos is a crime and “can be very dangerous.”

(Source: JS Online)

Have you been wrongfully exposed to asbestos? If so, please contact us to speak with someone about the resources available to you.