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THREE IN NEW YORK CONVICTED OF ASBESTOS VIOLATIONS
Release Date: 10/14/99
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCT. 14, 1999
THREE IN NEW YORK CONVICTED OF ASBESTOS VIOLATIONS
Melvin Weintraub of Purchase, N.Y., and two of his companies Morelite Development and Construction Inc., and Liberty Realty Associates LLC, both of Elmsford, N.Y., were convicted on Oct. 8, in U.S. District Court in New Haven, of conspiracy and of participating in the illegal stripping, removal and disposal of asbestos in violation of the Clean Air Act. The charges arose from the illegal removal of asbestos-containing material during the conversion of a former Y.M.C.A. building into an upscale apartment development in New Haven in 1997. Weintraub, Morelite and Liberty were convicted of causing untrained and unprotected workers to remove asbestos from boilers, piping and floor coverings at the building. As a result of this activity, asbestos fibers were released into the air where workers and others could inhale them. Evidence indicated that the defendants used undocumented workers from Mexico to remove the asbestos and locked them in the building without protective equipment while they were working. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer, a lung disease known as “asbestosis,” and mesothelioma which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. In addition, asbestos filled garbage bags were also illegally disposed of in various locations around New Haven. Evidence showed that Weintraub took part in efforts to create false documents that suggested that the asbestos had been legally removed. By not having a licensed asbestos contractor legally remove the asbestos using required safety procedures, the defendants avoided an estimated $375,000 in asbestos removal costs. When sentenced, Weintraub faces a maximum sentence of up to 32 years in prison and/or fines of up to $1.75 million. Morelite and Liberty each face fines of up to $3.5 million. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
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