Roofer Fined Over Asbestos

Article Added April 11th, 2007 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story

A Nebraska roofing company was held liable for releasing asbestos into the air while conducting a job for the city. The man plea-bargained, maintaining that he never knowingly put anyone at risk.

A North Platt business owner entered in a plea this week during a case involving asbestos. The owner of Weathercraft Roofing decided to take a plea bargain before the case was going to go in front of a jury. The man was charged with improper demolition of a building and failing to report asbestos to the proper authorities. When he brought up the fact that he was not a licensed asbestos professional and that, instead, he hired two city officials to come out to check for asbestos, the court entered a deal to drop the charges from felonies to misdemeanors as long as the owner paid a $50,000 fine. It was alleged that when the company demolished an old theater, it contained asbestos that was released into the surrounding area.

            The dangers of releasing asbestos are many; breathing in asbestos fibers can lead to a slew of respiratory illnesses including emphysema and mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer. Most asbestos-related diseases can take years to develop and mesothelioma is often times fatal at the time of detection. The man states that the licensed inspectors from the city acknowledged the asbestos, but did not indicate that the demolition could not take place.

Article Added April 11th, 2007 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story