General practice lawyer Norman Chidiac has been issued a violation for operating an unapproved solid-waste facility by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for neglecting to dispose of a container full of debris, which had asbestos mixed in with other construction materials. The DEP spent approximately $80,000 to clean up the waste over the course of four days and is now looking to recoup the funds.
“I am as upset as the neighbors are,” Chidiac said, adding that the entire issue had “turned into a monster.”
According to Chidiac, Steve DiFilippi, who runs a construction company called Elite Demolition and is one of the attorney’s clients, asked if he could leave a 30-cubic-yard container of debris in the parking lot of Chidiac’s office complex for one day, to which Chidiac agreed. Ultimately, the container sat outside, exposed to the elements, for three weeks before a tarp was placed over it by the state. Chidiac allegedly did not know the waste contained asbestos, which poses a serious threat to respiratory health if made airborne and inhaled.
Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a type of cancer that has an extremely low survival rate. The harmful properties of asbestos led to its ban in the 1970s, and its hazardous nature is common knowledge, which is why neighbors of Chidiac’s office were so concerned.
The issue came to the attention of the DEP’s solid-waste enforcement division after Newark Carting reported its container – the same one left in Chidiac’s lot – stolen. DiFilippi had been hired by the city of Patterson to remove debris from a work site, but Elite Demolition did not finish the job. The solid-waste enforcement division notified Newark Carting of its container’s whereabouts, but because DiFilippi had not paid the rental fees for the bin, the company refused to pick it up. The state intervened after it became clear that DiFilippi had no intentions of removing the container.
Chidiac claimed he knew nothing about the bin’s history or the contaminated materials it housed. “I’m not liable for anything because I didn’t do anything wrong,” he insisted, adding, “People take advantage. Unfortunately I was the sucker.”