When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, a series of new laws was passed both federally and a state level to ensure that the public and employees were protected against future exposure.
Many of those laws involved requiring special handling of demolition and renovation sites deemed to be contaminated by the carcinogenic material.
Seventeen New York City certified asbestos inspectors were arrested after it was determined that they had not been doing their jobs and had falsified important inspection documents. It is feared that their fraudulent behavior may have resulted in untold numbers of construction workers and others being exposed to the deadly material.
The arrests of those who may be behind future mesothelioma diagnosis came after a two-year-long investigation conducted jointly but the District Attorneys’ offices in Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.
The agencies found that 17 inspectors had falsely filed documents indicating that asbestos inspections had been done at forty different sites, although in fact they had not been conducted. In some cases, the inspectors signed off on having inspected New York buildings when they were not even in the country.
Speaking of the fraud and the dangers posed by exposure to asbestos, Department of Inspections Commissioner Mark Peters said, “We will prosecute them. We will revoke their professional credentials. We will do what is necessary to protect the city from illegal construction conduct that puts people in danger,” and
“We can’t afford to wait until the next tragedy strikes to make the changes necessary to protect New Yorkers’ lives and their well-being today,” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said added.
Putting profits over people is what has caused untold asbestos-related deaths. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease and you need information about the resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
