Houston man convicted of asbestos violations

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fair use, etc http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/817119

Houston man convicted of asbestos violations "A Houston man is facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine after a jury convicted him of failing to comply with regulations governing asbestos removal and using undocumented immigrants to do improper clandestine removal work. Federal authorities said the conviction Tuesday of Eric Kung-Shou Ho, 48, concluded a six-day trial and came in the first federal asbestos criminal case prosecuted in Texas. Ho was convicted of failing to file with the Texas Department of Health the required notice of intent to renovate and disturb asbestos-laced material and failing to adhere with Environmental Protection Agency rules covering work practices. The case involved renovation of an abandoned Houston hospital from December 1997 to March 1998. Ho was accused of hiring undocumented workers from Mexico to scrape fireproofing that contained asbestos from metal beams in the building. Prosecutors said he also instructed the workers to work at night to avoid detection, failed to warn them of the dangers of asbestos exposure and failed to provide them with adequate protection from exposure to asbestos. A March 1998 explosion at the worksite led to an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and uncovered the illegal asbestos abatement work. In April 1999, Ho and two of his corporations were fined $1.1 million for violating federal workplace rules regarding asbestos. Last August, the Texas Department of Health served him with a notice of violations of state laws covering asbestos removal. Ho settled that case by paying a $44,500 fine. Sentencing on this week's conviction was set for April 11. The notice violation carries penalties of up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Penalty on the EPA asbestos work practice violation is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

-- tex (tex@tex.com), February 07, 2001

Answers

The big question is: was the work area properly sealed off from the rest of the hospital? If not the fibers would have gotten into the air and been breathed by everyone in the hospital. Asbestosis can take 20+ years to show up as a disease. The hospital could have a long-term liability of millions.

-- John Littmann (littmannj@aol.com), February 07, 2001.

This is very sad, case of abuse on the uninformed workers.

the keywords are:abandoned Houston hospital

-- fair use act quotation: for educational and reserach purposes (perry@ofuzzy1.com), February 07, 2001.


As for my thoughts on the matter. I hope they give the man the maxium sentence...And yes. It takes about 20-30 years for asbestos to show up! I know...! I've found out this year that I have Asbestosis!

"As for me...I shall finish the Game"!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shakey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), February 08, 2001.


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