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Virginia Company Owner Charged with Illegal Asbestos Removal
Release Date: 10/01/2003
Contact Information:
Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / hester.luke@epa.gov
(10/01/2003) On Sept. 15, Coast-to-Coast Inc., a Virginia Corp., and its owner, Manuel Cedeno, were charged with allegedly violating the Toxic Substances Control Act. The charges allege that the defendants, working through a limited partnership called McGuire Apartments, L.P., purchased the McGuire Park Apartments in Richmond in May 2002. The apartment complex was constructed in the 1940's and contained several thousand linear feet of asbestos-containing insulation. After the purchase, the defendants allegedly conducted an asbestos remediation project at the McGuire Park Apartments using workers who were not accredited to remove asbestos-containing materials. Using non-accredited workers can create a risk of releasing asbestos fibers into the air. Breathing airborne asbestos fibers is a known cause of lung cancer, a lung disease known as “asbestosis” and mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division (Washington, D.C.). The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richmond. The filing of federal charges is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.
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