This past April, Staten Island engineer Gaspare Santoro filed paperwork stating that six buildings at Mount Manresa, all of them scheduled for demolition, were free of asbestos. However, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has discovered the hazardous material at two of the site’s buildings, prompting an investigation into Santoro. A stop-work order has been issued, and the DEP is testing the remaining buildings for airborne asbestos.
Santoro was hired to do the assessment by the Savo Brothers, developers who paid $15 million for the property and intend to construct 250 townhouses at the site. Santoro has had issues with violating regulations in the past; in 2004, he was placed on two years’ probation for “grossly negligent failure to comply with the substantial provision of local laws governing the practice of architecture.” Santoro was allowed to keep his license after paying a $5,000 fine and taking some continuing education courses. However, depending on the outcome of the DEP’s current investigation, the engineer could lose his asbestos certification.
“[Santoro and the Savos] put the public at risk,” said Barbara Sanchez, a member of the Committee to Save Mount Manresa. “What’s shocking is that any demolition was allowed to occur.”
The asbestos discovery came after Staten Island Borough President James Oddo wrote a letter to DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd. The letter expressed community concerns regarding airborne asbestos and requested that the agency investigate. “My office is in constant contact with the city’s Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that any demolition that may occur does not expose residents to any environmental risks,” said City Councilwoman Debi Rose, a co-signer of Oddo’s letter.
The community’s concerns are legitimate. Exposure to airborne asbestos can lead to numerous respiratory illnesses, including mesothelioma – a type of cancer that claims the lives of most people who contract the disease.