Pittsburgh Mesothelioma Attorney

A building contractor was recently fined over $1,000,000 by the Allegheny Health Department for illegal asbestos disposal. This issue occurred during the renovation of the Westinghouse headquarters building located in Churchill. A local environmental group had said that the contractor’s actions were unconscionable.

Paradigm Consultants LLC and Churchill Community Development LP, headed by Vikas and Ramesh Jain, were given a short 30-day period to pay the fine amount.

In 2017, a Churchill building inspector observed that workers removed asbestos-laden material from a building. That building was the former Westinghouse headquarters building located on Beulah Road. The Allegheny Health Department quickly issued an enforcement order to stop the work that had produced the asbestos debris.

The Jains appealed the order, but the appeal was rejected. The Jains had been involved in Churchill area real estate projects for almost 20 years. Because of the Allegheny Health Department violation observance and subsequent order, Vikas Jain also faced a civil charge for a Clean Air Act violation and was actually sentenced to prison.

The original Westinghouse construction site was built between 1950 and 1970 with over one million square feet of lab and office space. A 2009 environmental site assessment confirmed that the building was constructed pre-1981 and had not been properly tested for asbestos. Mandatory renovation permits had not been obtained.

The Allegheny Health Department also noticed that asbestos safety equipment and signage were not present at the site, even though the Allegheny Health Department had calculated that there were more than 160,000 square feet of asbestos-containing floor tile.

Coincidentally, internet commerce giant Amazon recently stopped plans for a big project that was to be built nearby at the former George Westinghouse Research and Technology Park also located in Churchill. Amazon did not offer any specific reasons for the change in plans.

Asbestos can cause issues when inhaled or ingested. Asbestos fibers are very small and usually cannot be seen by the naked eye. If inhaled they can cause the following lung issues:

• Lung scarring
• Lung cancer
• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis

These health problems can take up to 50 years to manifest so people that were exposed in the early 1970s could just be experiencing symptoms now. Exposure could have occurred at manufacturing plants, on naval ships, or even in individual Pittsburgh-area homes.

Pittsburgh Asbestos Exposure Sites:

• AIRCO, Inc.
• Beazer East
• Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp.
• Cebor Construction Corp.
• Consolidated Comstock Co.
• Davy McKee Corp.
• National Valve & Manufacturing
• North American Rockwell Corp.
• Power Piping Co.
• Yobe Electric, Inc.

If you are worried about asbestos in or near your home or workplace, you need to contact a qualified Pittsburgh Mesothelioma Attorney like those at the Throneberry Law Group. The Throneberry Law Group provides aggressive and compassionate support and representation for asbestos cancer victims. Call an experienced Throneberry Law Group attorney today at (888) 506-1131, or visit them online for 24/7 assistance.