Massachusetts’ largest asbestos-removal training school has come under fire by a grand jury for graduating students who paid extra to skip required classes.

According to an article in the Boston Herald, the Environmental Compliance Training School of Methuen, MA “helped students get asbestos-removal certification without required classwork or proof of citizenship or legal immigration.” The alleged violations occurred between 2001 and 2006.

The grand jury has indicted Albania DeLeon and Jose Garcia-Garcia in connection with the operation. DeLeon owns the school and Garcia-Garcia was an employee of Environmental Compliance Training (ECT).

The newspaper article notes that authorities allege ECT students were allowed to pay an extra $50 in order to skip the $350 classes. The school would then allegedly forge attendance slips and either give students test answers or create fake exams with passing grades. 

Alarmingly, officials report that the school certified more than half of the technicians that were licensed in 2004 to remove asbestos. Improperly removed asbestos may result in exposure to asbestos fibers, which may be inhaled by those in the vicinity. The fibers may eventually cause asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs.

A grand jury indicted DeLeon and Garcia-Garcia on one count each of making false statements to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If convicted, both face up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 27th, 2007 at 3:33 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.