New Jersey Companies Charged with Asbestos Crimes

Two New Jersey companies and five men have been convicted of violating the federal Clean Water Act after conspiring to dump 430 tractor-trailer loads of asbestos materials at an illegal site by the Mohawk River

Between July and October 2006, Eagle Recycling and Mazza & Sons Inc. dumped pile after pile of debris from demolished homes and other buildings from across the state at the site in Herkimer County. Much of the debris had been put through an industrial shredding machine without having had the asbestos materials removed from it earlier.

U.S. Attorney Craig Benedict helped to uncover a criminal conspiracy that included the two companies and five men that and included plans for illegal asbestos dumping to go on at the 28-acre site for five years, dropping “hundreds of millions of tons” of debris containing asbestos.

According to the lawsuit, the companies benefitted from the deal by paying $53-per-ton of debris, much cheaper than the $110-per-ton that an approved landfill would have charged, The Post-Standard reported.

Department of Environmental Conservation has since quarantined the site, and millions of dollars – that the convicted companies and men may eventually be responsible for paying for – will now be spent to clean up the site.

If you or a loved one has been has been exposed to asbestos that has led to a mesothelioma diagnosis, there may be legal options at your disposal. Call Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation regarding a mesothelioma lawsuit.

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