A California man who was convicted by a federal jury for violating the Federal Clean Air Act has been sentenced to 10 months in a federal prison for illegally demolishing a building that contained large amounts of asbestos.

The conviction relates to a vacant, asbestos-contaminated two-story building owned by Wassim Mohammad Azizi that was demolished in Hayward, California. Azizi, who currently resides in Tracy, must begin serving his sentence on December 1, 2008.

Investigation of the case was triggered by the Environmental Protection Agency. After hearing that illegal asbestos handling had been carried out on the Hayward site, an inspection revealed a number of Clean Air Act violations.

During the five-day trial, the jury heard Azizi failed to notify the EPA and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that demolition of the Hayward building may result in an asbestos hazard. Azizi, who renovates and sells commercial properties, hired an unlicensed worker to demolish the Hayward building. According to prosecutors, Azizi was already aware that the building contained hazardous materials.

Azizi was convicted of three felony charges for Clean Air Act violations. These violations include illegally demolishing a building that contained asbestos, neglecting to remove the hazardous material prior to demolition, and violating work safety practices. The jury also found that Azizi failed to use proper asbestos handling and wet-removal techniques to keep the building safe for employees and the public.

Most state laws require that a building containing asbestos cannot be demolished until the asbestos is removed. In addition, asbestos must be removed using techniques such as wet-removal to prevent the dispersal of large amounts of airborne asbestos fibers. Failure to comply with these laws constitutes violation of the federal Clean Air Act and also puts public health and safety at risk.

A major concern for those exposed to asbestos is the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma cancer. Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that usually affects the pleural lining of the lungs, but can also affect the mesothelial lining of the abdominal cavity and the heart sac.

In a prepared statement issued during the trial, EPA Special Agent Nick Torres said, “The defendant not only risked exposing the public and any workers at the site to asbestos, a known carcinogen, but also tried to cover up his crime by lying to the local enforcement agency.”

For more information on mesothelioma and how to avoid asbestos exposure, please visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.