Camden, NJ – A man from Bergen County (NJ) was sentenced recently to 3 years of probation, which includes home confinement for 6 months, after he was charged with conspiring to breach the federal CAA (Clean Air Act) in connection with the asbestos removal from a structure, according to United States Attorney General Paul Fishman. Vele Bozinoski, of Elmwood Park, had pleaded guilty earlier before United States District Judge Noel Hillman to the charges of CAA violations. He agreed that he failed to follow safe work practices for dealing with asbestos and that he conspired with others for committing this offense. The sentence was imposed by Judge Hillman on 11th January in Camden County Circuit Court. According to the papers filed relating to this case and the statements made in federal court, Bozinoski hired some workers in 2007 February for removing insulation at Garden State Paper, a former newsprint mill. The facility contained 160 or more linear ft of materials containing asbestos. The court papers indicate that Bozinoski conspired with some others for not thoroughly inspecting the facility to know the presence of dangerous asbestos or to inform the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regarding the asbestos presence before commencing removal of insulation. Per regulations, any work that involves asbestos has to be carried out only after informing the EPA. Additionally, Bozinoski conspired with some other people for failing to make sure that asbestos-containing substances were wet before being stripped off. The materials containing asbestos were not sealed in proper leak-tight containers till it was taken for disposal. United States AG Fishman credited special FBI agents, under the guidance of David Velazquez, the Acting Special Agent; and the special agents of criminal investigation department of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, under the guidance of William Lometti, the Acting Special Agent, with the probe that lead to the sentence. As asbestos is a material which can cause diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, it became a highly regulated substance in the United States. Anyone who carries out building renovation or demolition work on an asbestos-containing structure must inform the EPA prior to the commencement of the work. Asbestos removal is a must before demolition or renovation work and only a licensed contractor is supposed to handle asbestos abatement. The reason is that asbestos can be very dangerous if it is broken or disturbed.
