Asbestos Violations at New London, WI Apartment Results in Indictment Against Owner

Shiocton, WI man indicted after EPA investigation of heating system work at New London apartment building. Exposure to asbestos, a dangerous carcinogen (cancer-causing substance), is known to cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma cancer, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis.

In August 2009, an indictment was filed against the owner of the Villa Apartments in New London, Wisconsin. The charges came after an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which resulted in the man being charged with seven counts of violating laws pertaining to the removal of asbestos.

The federal indictment states that between July and November 2007, a large quantity of asbestos-contaminated pipe was removed during a heating system conversion.  Charges against the apartment owner included:

• Failure to wet down asbestos when it was removed from pipes;
• Handling asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in a careless manner;
• Failure to remove asbestos from the building without packing it in leak-proof wrapping
• Failure to properly label asbestos-containing waste; and
• Failure to have certified asbestos abatement personnel on the premises while the asbestos removal activities took place.

The man faces potential penalties of five years in prison and fines of $250,000 for each of the seven counts in the indictment.

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