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LAS VEGAS MEN CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL ASBESTOS REMOVAL
Release Date: 05/04/2001
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2001
On April 25, Michael Carbaugh, John Grant, and Emeal Blackman were indicted for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) in an alleged illegal asbestos removal project at an apartment complex in Las Vegas, Nev. Carbaugh and Grant were employed by Desert Environment, the company hired to remove the asbestos and Blackman was employed by CT&E Environmental Services, Inc. to monitor and inspect the abatement work. The defendants allegedly failed to remove all regulated asbestos-containing material from apartment units before the building was demolished and allegedly failed to properly dispose of the material. Improper asbestos removal and disposal can cause asbestos fibers to be inhaled by workers. Inhalation of airborne asbestos is a known cause of lung cancer, a lung disease known as “asbestosis,” and mesothelioma which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000 on each count of the indictment. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI, with the assistance of the National Enforcement Investigations Center. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas is handling the prosecution. An indictment is only an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.
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