The state’s prime prosecutor accused three males and two firms of polluting a neighborhood with asbestos as they tore down an elementary college in Fall River with out correct allowing.
A Bristol County grand jury indicted the group on 104 counts, together with violations of the Massachusetts Clean Air Act, stemming from the demolition of Healy Elementary School in 2018. The demolition, in keeping with Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s workplace, uncovered employees and residents to asbestos, lead, and dirt and required federal officers to pay $2 million to securely take away the toxins.
Eric Resendes, 42, of Fall River; his company, Spindle City Homes, Inc.; Richard Miranda, Sr., 67, of Assonet; his son, Richard Miranda, Jr., 47, of Acushnet; and his firm, Diversified Roofing Systems, Inc. had been indicted final week and are scheduled for arraignment in a Bristol County courtroom on Sept. 11, Campbell’s workplace mentioned.
Prosecutors mentioned Resendes purchased the elementary college in 2017 and employed Miranda, Sr. and Miranda, Jr., as demolition contractors “even though neither was a licensed asbestos contractor as required by law.”
Campbell’s workplace alleged the group “crushed asbestos and lead into a powdery substance, commingled the contaminants with other debris materials and spread the mixture throughout the site and onto an adjacent public sidewalk and neighboring residential properties.”
“As a result, asbestos fibers became airborne, releasing clouds of dust visible in the surrounding neighborhood,” Campbell’s workplace mentioned in an announcement. “Within one mile of the site are over 18,000 residents, five schools, one nursing home, and six daycares.”
Court information accessed Friday afternoon didn’t listing attorneys for Miranda, Sr., Miranda, Jr., Diversified Roofing Systems, Inc., Resendes, or Spindle City Homes, Inc.
Prosecutors mentioned some, however not all, of the asbestos-containing materials was faraway from the elementary college’s inside throughout demolition.
Miranda, Jr., utilized for a metropolis constructing allow to demolish the varsity and “included an inaccurate asbestos abatement report claiming the asbestos had been properly removed,” Campbell’s workplace mentioned.
“Prior to demolition, however, numerous materials throughout the site still allegedly contained asbestos,” prosecutors mentioned. “Nonetheless, the defendants each failed to hire a licensed asbestos contractor, failed to notify the [MassDEP] of the asbestos removal activity as required by law and failed to follow the safe work practices required under the Clean Air Act.”
MassDEP ordered demolition to halt after it began in 2018 however the defendants “allegedly ignored this order,” Campbell’s workplace mentioned.
“The defendants completed demolition of the building and left an uncovered pile of asbestos-containing material on the site as well as asbestos-containing debris on the sidewalks next to the site — causing repeated additional air pollution and posing a potential threat to the surrounding community’s health, safety and well-being,” prosecutors mentioned.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”