Supervisor Guilty of Endangering Workers While Removing Asbestos

The Department of Justice and the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced today that a Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from removing asbestos at a Naval Air Station in Maryland. Robert Langill now faces up to five years in prison and $25,000 in fines for improperly removing asbestos panels from buildings.

US Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in the Justice Department's press release, "Robert Langill intentionally violated federal work practice standards established to protect people and the environment from harmful exposure to asbestos. We will continue to prosecute individuals who violate the very laws that they are entrusted to comply with."

Langill was working for a Maryland asbestos removal company as a supervisor. While working at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in 2003, he was in charge of removing transite panels from three buildings at the Station. Over three months, Langill instructed workers to smash the panels with hammers and crowbars, which released the carcinogenic asbestos fibers to fill the air.

In one of the buildings in which Langill supervised the removal of the panels, the panels were not "adequately wet" in order to decrease the danger of atmospheric releases of the fibers, as per EPA requirements for safe removal. Also, it was discovered that the broken panels were placed in bags, unsealed and unlabeled, and left overnight in a company truck. Not labeling waste that contained asbestos is another violation of EPA standards for safe removal.

In addition to the hazardous removal methods, Langill did not report the abatement project to the Maryland Department of the Environment, as per the State's law. The proper form to file with Maryland requires the contractor to specify the removal methods that will be used as well as safety precautions that will be followed during the removal.

Asbestos fibers can lodge themselves in the lungs if inhaled. Asbestos can cause asbestosis, which is a scarring of the lungs, leading to disability or even death. Many cancers are also caused by asbestos exposure, such as Mesothelioma, lung cancer, and cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum.

Asbestos was heavily used in construction since the 1940's as it is fireproof and insulates well, as well as relatively cheap. When broken, asbestos becomes microscopic fibers that are not seen by the eye, so exposure can be overlooked. Those working with asbestos can carry the fibers home with them on their clothes and increase exposure to others.

Most of the laws and regulations for the safe removal of asbestos have been on the books from the 1980's, so Langill had no excuse for not knowing the proper methods for removing the transite panels. The EPA and the State of Maryland also require that all contractors working with asbestos be properly trained and certified.

Langill is scheduled for sentencing on January 10^th.

Sources: US Department of Justice, US Attorney's Office of the District of Maryland