May 3rd, 2007

A man from Fort Lauderdale has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty of violating the Clean Air Act in relation to asbestos. The charge came following the planned renovations in Wilton Manors last year, where the Highland House West apartment complex was to be renovated and turned into condos.

According to the charges the man, Kenneth Hale, was planning to carry out renovations for the project without proper removal of asbestos, as required by law. He was accused of failing to provide notification of the intended works as is required as part of the Clean Air Act Work Practice Standards.

According to government officials: "Hale hired painters to scrape the material from the ceilings as part of the renovation project, with some of the material being improperly placed in open dumpsters on-site."

According to officials twelve of the apartments were found to still have asbestos in the ceiling during inspections. Hale has been fined fifty thousand dollars, and will be serving a year's probation as well as being made to attend training in the identification and handling of asbestos.