Ni Management, LLC, will pay approximately $65,000 to settle Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's allegations that the company violated the state building code by removing asbestos without a permit, Healey said last week.
The company is owned by Wei Qiang Ni. The violation alleges the company removed and transported asbestos, without a license.
“This is a public health issue,” Healey said. “Asbestos-removal actions should be conducted only by trained professionals, not unlicensed and unqualified individuals, especially where tenants could be exposed.”
The company removed asbestos from a residential building and an industrial building, and code guidelines for removal allegedly were not followed, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said after an investigation. The company also didn’t give notice to the department that the work was being conducted. The investigation found that loose asbestos remained in the basement of the residential building, where children play and tenants do laundry.
“Improper handling of asbestos can expose workers, residents and potentially others to a health hazard and poses an unnecessary environmental risk,” Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Martin Suuberg said. “With this settlement, we are ensuring that the property owners’ tenants will be protected and the remainder of the properties safely assessed and abated as necessary.”