Aaron A. Netto, a former state corrections officer, has been indicted for illegally removing asbestos from a residence during renovation and releasing more than 1,000 lbs. of contaminated material into the surrounding environment.
The indictment alleges that Netto put neighbors at risk of exposure and endangered other workers renovating the home by not providing them with proper safety equipment. The charges include two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, one count of third-degree endangering public health, safety, or the environment, and one second-degree count for making an apparently false sworn statement and tampering with physical evidence.
Netto lost his position as a corrections officer in November, after pleading guilty to four counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property in September. He is currently serving three years’ probation for those charges.
Exposure to asbestos, a mineral that was banned from widespread in the 1970s, is extremely hazardous to respiratory health and is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a fatal type of cancer. When asbestos is friable, like some of the material Mr. Netto removed, it can easily become airborne and inhaled by those in close proximity. This is why proper, lawful asbestos abatement requires certification.