Last week, state and federal environmental agencies raided the Hilton Center in Rensselaer, New York, prompted by suspicions that “asbestos-related projects” carried out at the industrial park during the last five years may have involved illegally handling of the toxic material. Now, a federal grand jury is investigating to determine whether infractions incurred.

According to an article in the Times Union, a subpoena filed by the Syracuse-based grand jury seeks “any and all documents pertaining to any renovation, demolition or any other project, to include asbestos related projects, filed” by Arthur Hilton, Hilton Management LLC or PRO Manufacturing Co.

Among the documents requested are financial records as well as environmental and asbestos surveys from the city’s code enforcement office and building department. Specifically, the grand jury is seeking project files, notices of violations, permits, notes and communications.

Apparently, the Hilton Center industrial park has a history of asbestos issues, including illegal asbestos removal from its buildings. The city closed the center last month, driven by these suspicions of wrongdoing.

Indeed, Arthur Hilton is no stranger to asbestos handling problems. In 2004, he pleaded guilty to violating the federal Clean Air Act and Superfund laws, having illegally removed countless bags of asbestos from the property in question. In addition, it was proven that he hired workers to dump the bags of debris by various highways near the Massachusetts state line. The article did not indicate how Hilton was punished for his infractions.

The fear remains that workers hired by Hilton would have been exposed to asbestos, which can be deadly if inhaled. If the workers were without protective gear, chances are they breathed in countless airborne fibers, which may eventually cause them to develop diseases such as pleural mesothelioma or asbestosis.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.