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PA PENNSYLVANIA DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR SENTENCED FOR VIOLATING THE CLEAN AIR ACT
Release Date: 07/31/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1998
PENNSYLVANIA DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR SENTENCED FOR VIOLATING THE CLEAN AIR ACT
Howard Parsons of Holland, Pa, was sentenced on July 21, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for his conviction on seven counts of violating the Clean Air Act. Parsons, owner of Philadelphia Construction and Equipment Inc., was hired to demolish the Old Grant Paper Co. building in Philadelphia. Parsons did not follow federal workplace standards to reduce worker exposure to airborne asbestos fibers which were found in the building. These fibers can cause lung cancer and a lung disease known as “asbestosis.” Parsons also was convicted of dumping the asbestos in a minority neighborhood in Philadelphia. Parsons was ordered to spend 15 months in prison, serve 36 months of supervised release and restore homeowners property. He also was ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution to the homeowners. The case was investigated by EPA, the FBI, the city of Philadelphia and EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center.
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