Occupational Diseases: New York Contractor Asked About Asbestos Removal

Federal officials are considering fining Aapex Environmental Services Inc. $57,000 for having exposed employees to asbestos at a suburban construction project. Aapex was cited for six violations of occupational health standards and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found that the required monitoring of employee exposure to asbestos was not conducted on several occasions, even though records monitoring such inspections indicated that inspections had been completed. Aapex was to have been find $42,000 for that finding. The inspection also discovered that Aapex had not collected short-term air sampling, kept accurate exposure monitoring records, notified employees of sampling results, trained employees to establish an asbestos containment system, or prevented asbestos-contaminated water from leaking from an enclosed work area. These five citations will cost Aapex another $15,000 in fines.

N.Y. Contractor Questioned Over Asbestos Removal Conditions

OSHA's fines come up the heels of another scandal that shook Aapex. Last month, Everett Blatche, an Aapex supervisor, admitted that he got rid of asbestos fibers by allowing them to drain into public sewers. Blatche pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Superfund law. Blatche faces up to five years in jail and up to $250,000 in fines. He will be sentenced in August. "This employer chose to bypass employee health and safety at this project by ignoring basic safeguards required by law," said Chris Adams, OSHA's Syracuse-area director.