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LOUISIANA MAN PLEADS TO USING FALSE ASBESTOS CERTIFICATE

Release Date: 05/11/2000
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2000

LOUISIANA MAN PLEADS TO USING FALSE ASBESTOS CERTIFICATE

On May 5, Dexter Wells of Slidell, La., pleaded guilty to using a false training document to obtain a license as an asbestos worker. The Clean Air Act and its implementing regulations require that workers are properly trained and present training certificates before they can be employed in activities involving the removal of asbestos. Training is required to prevent worker exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer, a lung disease known as “asbestosis,” and mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. The defendant faces up to five years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

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