New York Man Jailed for Illegal Asbestos Removal

June 6, 2006 - In the northern New York town of Syracuse, the former supervisor of an asbestos removal company was sentenced to fourteen months in prison and three years’ supervised release for violating the federal Clean Air Act by improperly removing asbestos from a number of different buildings in the region.

In an article penned by the Associated Press and released by Newsday, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the city of Syracuse noted that the defendant, James Taylor, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in January of this year.  Taylor, 39, worked for the AVALA Asbestos Removal Corp. of Whitesboro, NY, which is no longer in business.  He served as a supervisor with the company for just over four years. 

Prosecutors noted that during Taylor’s tenure as supervisor, he had little regard for the safety of his workers or those situated in the area of the removal projects.  He often directed asbestos to be removed without first being wet down, a process which stops fibers from becoming airborne.  In many instances, he also failed to build proper containment for the removal process. 

It was also noted that Taylor falsified air monitoring results and allowed workers to continue with removal even though the air quality was unsafe.