June 25th, 2007

A man from California has pleaded guilty to making false statements to authorities with regards to the illegal disposal of asbestos, which is a known carcinogenic that can result in a range of health problems through exposure, including a form of asbestos related cancer known as mesothelioma, scarring of the lungs, and respiratory problems.

Forty-three year old Terrance Yates owned a Maryland company that worked alongside asbestos removal and abatement firms to dispose of asbestos that had been removed. According to reports Yates was involved in the illegal dumping of asbestos waste, and then made false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the violations.

Yates is reported to have taken up to seventeen trailers full of asbestos waste between 2004 and 2006, and dumping the waste at a Maryland site, where it was later discovered by authorities. He should have been taking the waste to approved landfills.

Sentencing will now take place in September of this year, and Yates could face a prison sentence of up to five years, followed by a supervised release period of three years.