Stephanie Laskin, Asbestos Removal, New York 2016

A New York woman pleaded guilty today to illegally removing and disposing of asbestos.

Stephanie Laskin, 45, of Newburgh, New York, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act's work practice standards, which address how asbestos can be stripped, bagged, removed, and disposed of with relative safety.

Laskin, the owner of A2 Environmental Services (A2ES), who had special asbestos abatement training, hired numerous workers and supervisors to conduct the asbestos removal. She and her co-conspirators pressured these workers to expedite the removal of asbestos at the site to meet contract deadlines.

At times, Laskin and other A2ES supervisors instructed workers to remove RACM dry. Wetting is required by law and helps to prevent airborne asbestos fibers. When the workers questioned her, Laskin gave them the choice of following her directions or losing their jobs. This resulted in numerous violations of the Clean Air Act's work practice standards.

Laskin admitted that she and her supervisors, workers, and other co-conspirators removed substantial amounts of RACM from the site in violation of the work-practice standards and were issued numerous notices of violation (NOVs) associated with dry removal, storing bulk quantities of RACM waste on-site in open containers, failing to properly contain work areas to avoid discharges of RACM to the outside air, sweeping dry RACM in ways that produced visible emissions, and conducting work outside containment and other dry removal abatement techniques.

The site was later deemed to be contaminated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and municipal authorities. Cleanup costs associated with asbestos contamination at the site are estimated to be in the millions.

Laskin is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/abatement-company-owner-pleads-guilty-illegally-removing-asbestos