January 17th, 2008

A man has been sentenced to almost two years in prison for illegally removing asbestos from a government building in Kansas. To make matters worse, the man used homeless people to conduct the work.

A two time convicted felon has been sentenced to almost two years in prison this week after it was determined that he knowingly removed dangerous asbestos from a Kansas city building illegally. The sentence was extended to 21 months after it came to light that the man had used unsuspecting homeless people to complete the work without any benefits of protective gear. The man hired three homeless men for three days, paying them $10 an hour to remove the deadly material, knowing that none of the workers were trained or certified in abatement.

Not only did the man put the three men in danger of exposure, but he put the public at risk as well. When asbestos is improperly removed, the material breaks into airborne particles, which can be breathed in. If the material is also improperly disposed of, it can continue to be a threat to the public as it begins to break down. Asbestos exposure has been linked to emphysema and mesothelioma, a type of aggressive lung cancer.