January 31st, 2008

A New York lawyer is the latest person to file charges against Cayuga County due to asbestos discovered last year in a public building. The lawyer is filing on his own behalf, as well as that of a coworker.

The election commissioner in Cayuga County, New York is now filing charges against the county for himself and a coworker. The suit alleges that he and his coworker were exposed to asbestos while working in the Board of Elections building in Cayuga County while asbestos was being illegally removed. The commissioner is also a lawyer in Auburn, New York and is filing the allegations on his own behalf. The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred in 2006, when a county employee used prisoners to illegally remove asbestos from the Elections building during operating hours.

Cayuga County has been dealing with the repercussions of the asbestos removal for over a year now, as more people come forward with evidence and the concern that they were exposed. When asbestos is illegally removed and disposed of, it can put the public at risk of asbestos exposure. Exposure to the dangerous substance has been linked to respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that occurs when asbestos fibers are inhaled, and become trapped in the lungs.