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PA ASBESTOS ABATEMENT CONTRACTOR CHARGED
Release Date: 02/27/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1998
ASBESTOS ABATEMENT CONTRACTOR CHARGED
On Feb. 17, Barry Shurelds, a former asbestos abatement contractor who is now serving a 51-month prison term in federal prison for previous asbestos removal crimes in Kentucky, was charged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for submitting false asbestos training certificates. The certificates allegedly indicated that the workers had attended courses on how to safely remove asbestos. The government maintains that the workers did not attend the courses. Improper removal of asbestos can expose workers to asbestos fibers which can cause people to develop lung cancer and a lung disease known as “asbestosis.” If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of an additional five years in prison, and/or fines of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI.
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