April 23rd, 2008

The owner of a school that trains people to become licensed asbestos workers has been indicted this week. She is accused of licensing illegal aliens to oversee and complete the removal of deadly asbestos.

The owner of a Massachusetts training facility was indicted this week after allegations stated that she certified illegal aliens to oversee and conduct asbestos removal. The suit charges that the woman accepted payment from the aliens in exchange for giving them licenses to remove or oversee the removal of dangerous asbestos without going through the proper training. She would then help the aliens obtain fraudulent Social Security numbers and employ them in her asbestos removal company.

The charges are staggering, since the unlicensed removal of asbestos by untrained workers can result in a public health concern. When asbestos is improperly removed it can break apart and become airborne. Once airborne, the asbestos particles can be inhaled into the lungs resulting in deadly respiratory diseases like emphysema and mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases can be deadly due to the time it takes for the illnesses to be diagnosed.