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According to Rnews a federal grand jury in Rochester has returned a 15-count indictment against the 51-year-old man on charges involving illegal asbestos removal, falsifying documents and lying to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
"The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of New York says Keith Gordon-Smith, 51, of Rochester faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine."
The charges stem from the defendant’s work at Gordon-Smith Contracting.
It seems that Gordon-Smith Contracting has had a past with asbestos related citations. According to Asbestos.com in the early December of 2009 the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations to a Chili, New York general contractor for ten violations of asbestos safety regulations. The combined fines for the citations total $99,925. OSHA charges that the company willfully exposed employees to asbestos during preparations for demolition at the former Genesee Hospital.
"Arthur Dube, director of OSHA’s Buffalo area office said that Gordon-Smith company officers are aware of the safeguards and know that they are required to protect employees from asbestos exposure, but chose not to provide them. Lawyers for Gordon-Smith informed OSHA that they will contest the charges which were turned up in an investigation that started September 4th."
Anyone who was at Bloomfield Elementary School from June 21, 2006 until the present, Hastings Center for Academics at Roberts Wesleyan College from October 15, 2007 to present, and the west wing of the former Genesee Hospital from January 1, 2007 to present may have been exposed to asbestos.
Posted June 19th, 2009 by Armen Hareyan
