January 23rd, 2008

A New York County Legislator was questioned this week in a case involving illegal asbestos removal in a Cayuga County building. The chairman was interrogated about whether or not he ordered the illegal removal of the deadly substance.

A county worker was called before a Federal Court this week to testify in a case alleging the illegal dumping of asbestos. The worker originally accused of dumping the hazardous material pleaded guilty, but testified that he was under orders from the chair of the Cayuga County Legislature. The chairman was called before the Court to testify regarding the allegations. The case sprang from a complaint that asbestos-bearing materials were illegally removed from a building without the crew being notified that they were working with a potentially deadly material.

Asbestos has been linked to respiratory illnesses including emphysema and mesothelioma, a type of deadly lung cancer. In order to avoid contracting mesothelioma and other diseases, workers normally have to wear protective gear and work in a controlled environment to keep the public safe. By not notifying workers of the dangers, the county worker could have put the public at risk. The chairman stated he did not know the building contained asbestos and did not order the worker to illegally remove the material.