Dellbrook Construction LLC and A-Best Abatement Inc. will allegedly pay $215,000 to settle claims of asbestos safety standards violations and illegal asbestos work at their companies’ development projects in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.

Dellbrook Construction is a company located and based out of Quincy, Mass., while A-Best, is headquartered in Salem, N.H. The asbestos standards violations lawsuit was brought forth in a case filed by the Attorney Generals’ office.

The lawsuit alleged that the companies failed to follow asbestos safety standards and did not comply with Massachusetts’ clean air laws and regulations which cover the handling of asbestos at construction projects.

According to the Attorney General’s office, the companies allegedly allowed for the removal of asbestos material in a basement of a five-story building in Lowell without following proper asbestos safety standards. Regulations for the removal of asbestos would require proper ventilation of the work area in addition to other rules set forth that prevent or inhibit as exposure to the toxic particles.

However, the companies allegedly did not require the proper sealing of the work area. Additionally, the companies also violated asbestos safety standards by leaving asbestos visible in the basement and transferring dry and broken asbestos-containing material to a parking lot at the rear of the building.

Allegations regarding Dellbrook’s violations of asbestos safety standards also included the company’s failure to notify the MassDEP, or Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, about the presence of asbestos in other areas of the project. They also allegedly began work on the project without first surveying whether or not the construction areas contained asbestos.

The complaint filed against Dellbrook also claims that the company polluted the air with asbestos particles. Dellbrook allegedly crushed a pipe that contained asbestos particles located underground into small dry pieces, creating asbestos particles that then scattered away into the open air.

According to Attorney General Maura Healy, “Companies must ensure that any construction and demolition work involving asbestos is done in a safe and legal way to protect workers and the public.”

Asbestos Mesothelioma

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), asbestos is the name given to six naturally occurring minerals. Asbestos is used in a variety of products including industrial and commercial applications. It used to be a popular construction material due to the product’s durability and its resistance to heat, fire, and chemicals.

However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned asbestos use in the late 1970s. At the time, it was banned for use in gas fireplaces and wallboard patching compounds. New uses of asbestos were banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1989.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), asbestos is now classified as a human carcinogen. According to the NCI, there is sufficient evidence that asbestos does indeed cause cancer, including the development of mesothelioma, a tumor of the tissue that lines the lungs, heart, stomach, and other organs of the body.