The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has filed a lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court against East Boston-based company MetroWest Environmental Services involving the improper handling and removal of asbestos-containing siding from a two-family house on Hayward Street in Milford.
The AGO claims the company’s actions violated the Massachusetts Clean Air Act and is asking the Court to order MetroWest to pay penalties and immediately stop all noncompliant business practices that put workers and residents in danger.
The AGO alleges that over the course of two days in May 2023, MetroWest’s work resulted in numerous violations of asbestos regulations, including improper handling and storage of the asbestos-containing siding in a densely populated residential area. Specifically, MetroWest broke asbestos-containing siding during its removal, left the broken siding exposed to the ambient air in and around the work area at the site, and failed to seal the work area in a manner sufficient to prevent the leakage of dust and debris into interior spaces during the asbestos abatement.
Additionally, the complaint claims that MetroWest allowed workers to remove and handle the asbestos-containing siding without protective equipment, exposing them to the harmful material. The complaint alleges that all these violations occurred despite a visit from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) warning the company about the violations.
Asbestos is a hazardous material and known human carcinogen regulated by both MassDEP and the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards. Due to the serious health risks associated with exposure to asbestos, there is no safe exposure level. When asbestos material is broken or disturbed there is a high likelihood that asbestos fibers will be released into the air.
This case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General John S. Craig of the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division and Chief Regional Counsel Anne Blackman, Regional Counsel Rebecca Gobeil, Deputy Regional Director John Volkerding, and Environmental Analysts Christa Cronk and Eric Gomes, all of MassDEP.
Original source can be found here.