Massachusetts’ attorney general recently filed a lawsuit against contractors whose illegal asbestos removal may have exposed children to the carcinogen.

According to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Ray Services Inc. and other companies failed to properly remove asbestos from a YMCA in the state. As a result of the companies’ “disregard of basic work practices and procedures,” school children, staff members, and other Massachusetts residents were allegedly exposed to the dangerous carcinogen.

“We allege that the defendants’ reckless disregard of basic workplace procedures and failure to take proper precautions put the health and safety of workers, building occupants, and the surrounding community at risk,” Healey said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.

“Those who deal with asbestos have a duty to do so in a safe and legal way to protect workers and the public from the serious harms of asbestos exposure, and we will take action against those who don’t comply.”

Ray Services allegedly started remediation on the Springfield YMCA in March 2019. O’Reilly, Talbot, & Okun Associates Inc. was the project manager, Allegrone Construction Co. Inc. was the general contractor, and Service Transport Group Inc. provided the storage container used by Ray Services. All four companies are named as defendants in the asbestos remediation lawsuit.

According to Healey’s allegations, the defendants failed to use protective equipment or dampen the materials when removing flooring and other asbestos materials from the building. As a result, asbestos laden dust was allowed to contaminate the air, the lawsuit contends. In addition, the project allegedly failed to use measures such as negative air pressure to ensure that dangerous asbestos fibers would not migrate throughout the building.

To make matters worse, after the asbestos was irresponsibly removed, the carcinogenic waste was allegedly stored in open waste bags and haphazardly placed piles.

Due to a lack of safety precautions, other residents and guests of the building were allegedly exposed to dangerous asbestos fibers. In addition to housing a YMCA location, the six story property houses various daycare programs, administrative offices, and affordable housing properties.

According to the illegal asbestos removal lawsuit, the defendants violated Massachusetts’ Clean Air Act by failing to properly abate asbestos. Illegal asbestos removal is a serious problem, as irresponsible handling of the material can send countless invisible asbestos fibers into the air. As a result, workers and nearby individuals can inhale the dangerous particles. Years or decades later, these same people may suffer from life threatening asbestos illnesses such as lung cancer or mesothelioma.

The YMCA Illegal Asbestos Removal Lawsuit is Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Ray Services Inc., et al., Case No. 2184CV00584, in the Suffolk County Superior Court of Massachusetts.