California Building Renovator Imprisoned for Illegally Demolishing Asbestos-Containing Building
On August, 27 2008 California builder Wassim Azizi was sentenced to 10 months in a California federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Maxine M. Chesney. Azizi was tried and convicted on May 13, 2008 for three separate violations of the Clean Air Act.
The violations occurred between late 2002 and early 2003 in Hayward, California and involved the razing of a two-story wooden building.
Azizi is said to have illegally demolished a building that contained “significant amounts of asbestos,” possibly exposing both residents and workers in the near-by area to asbestos from airborne dust that contained asbestos fibers. The possible exposure incident set-off an investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency who had evidence showing that Mr. Azizi was not in compliance with the Clean Air Act during demolition of the Hayward building.
The Clean Air Act is in place to regulate the removal and disposal of asbestos containing materials. Mr. Azizi allegedly violated more than one of the work practice standards enacted under this act, including failing to obtain the proper permits for removal of an asbestos-containing building. Azizi also failed to keep the asbestos-containing materials wet, failed to store the material in air tight containers, and disposed of materials in an unauthorized location.
Azizi’s sentence is set to begin December 1, 2008.
