Source: http://www.itemlive.com
A Lynnfield asbestos removal company, its owners and an employee have been indicted for the improper removal and disposal of asbestos for work performed on numerous public and private buildings in the city of Lynn, Beverly and Marblehead, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced in a press release.
AEI Environmental, LLC (AEI), David Harder, Jr., 47, and Julie Rosati, 51, of Lynnfield, were each indicted on charges of violating the Massachusetts Clean Air Act (12 counts), violating the Massachusetts Solid Waste Act (two counts) and evasion of unemployment insurance (four counts). Harder and Luiz Dias, 43, of Pelham, N.H., were also indicted on charges of filing false statements for the protection of the environment and conspiracy to file false environmental reports. Rosati was also charged with filing false statements for the protection of the environment.
“Asbestos is a hazardous material that must be properly removed and reported to ensure the public’s safety,” Coakley said. “It is extremely important that companies and individuals adhere to the guidelines for reporting, removing and disposing of asbestos. Our office is committed to upholding the law to protect people from being exposed to this dangerous toxin.”
According to authorities, in September 2010, the ECSF received information that AEI and its owners, Harder and Rosati, were illegally storing bags of asbestos at a self-storage facility in Lynnfield. Further investigation of the facility found hundreds of bags containing asbestos debris from work allegedly performed by the company. Under the Clean Air Act, the storage units were not a permissible location for the storage of asbestos debris.
Authorities allege that Harder, Rosati, AEI and Dias, an employee of AEI, engaged in the illegal and improper removal of asbestos at numerous locations in Lynn, Beverly and Marblehead, including several public buildings and schools, as well as other locations in Massachusetts, without properly notifying MassDEP. The removal of asbestos must be performed by a licensed contractor pursuant to MassDEP regulations with notification as to when the removal will occur. According to authorities, during the relevant time period the defendants were not licensed to perform asbestos removal. While contracted for asbestos removal services, Harder would allegedly convince other contractors working on location to file the asbestos notification with MassDEP, indicating that removal would be performed by another entity.