Both Frank J. Rizzo and Michael Kouvaras admitted to and are facing jail time for illegally removing and disposing of asbestos from the former Zurbrugg Memorial Hospital in 2010. Rizzo pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy and may serve up to three years in prison, while Kouvaras pleaded guilty to violating the Asbestos Control and Licensing Act.
Rizzo and Kouvaras’s company, Deuteron Capital, operating under the name South Street Fillit Recycling of Riverside, was contracted to demolish the hospital at the Zurbrugg site in early 2010. At that time, the defendants sought to hire a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to properly handle the hazardous material prior to the demolition. The contractor gave South Street an estimate of $220,000 for the project, but the defendants only paid enough for one day of work. Rizzo, as the project organizer, instead decided to hire untrained day laborers to remove the asbestos. The workers were given unsafe paper masks to wear and were told to bury bags of asbestos in the ground. The defendants also directed the laborers to dump bags of asbestos on the floor in the building’s boiler room to give the impression that vandalism had occurred.
“These two men showed an utter disregard for the health and safety of the workers they hired, as well as the residents living near this site,” said Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman. “We will not tolerate contractors who ignore our laws and put the public in danger to turn a profit.”
Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a type of lung disease that is almost always fatal. Many structures built prior to the 1970s, when asbestos was banned, still contain the harmful material. There are specific procedures for handling asbestos to ensure safety, but because these methods are more costly, it’s not uncommon for people to elect to disregard the law. In this case, the Environmental Protection Agency took over the project.