Mesothelioma Risk, Asbestos Concerns Prompt Indictment of Massachusetts Brothers

Arthur and Shaun Amaral were indicted by a Massachusetts grand jury on charges alleging that the brothers violated the Clean Air Act on five counts related to the improper removal of asbestos.

Arthur, 49, owns Northeast Demolition and Removal while his brother Shaun, 37, serves as a site foreman for the company. The charges against the men state the brothers failed to file the proper notice with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) prior to completing asbestos removal and demolition projects.

According to the state attorney general’s office, the brothers also instructed workers to demolish buildings that they knew contained asbestos-contaminated products prior to removing the products according to guidelines created by the Environmental Protection Agency and MassDEP.

The asbestos-contaminated waste from the demolition projects was then placed in drums and stored in a storage facility. The drums containing asbestos were uncovered by MassDEP Environmental Crimes Strike Force, comprised of environmental police, prosecutors from the state attorney general’s office and investigators and engineers from MassDEP.

The five charges filed against the men include failure to file a 10-day notice with MassDEP, knowingly demolishing asbestos-containing buildings, failure to adhere to certain safety procedures including wetting the toxic mineral and wearing respirators, disposing the toxic mineral in an unsafe manner and discarding it in an unauthorized location.

According to Jill Butterworth, spokesperson for the attorney general, the five counts against the brothers each carry potential penalties of up to one year in jail or a $25,000 fine, or both.

Asbestos is a toxic mineral known to cause serious illnesses such malignant mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Inhalation or ingestion of asbestos particles can cause tiny fibers to become lodged in the organs and body cavities, causing inflammation or infection. Overtime this can lead to the development of asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Additional information about mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 10:01 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Massachusetts, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.