Fraudulent asbestos removal classes discovered in CaliforniaHayward, California - Rogelio Lowe (aka Roger Lowe) of Thornton, California has been sentenced to three months of home confinement and 300 hours of community service after being indicted in October 2009 on 11 counts of mail fraud and false statements. Lowe defrauded his paying students at E&D Environmental Safety Training Inc. in Hayward by teaching asbestos removal classes that didn't comply with federal law.
Asbestos is a toxic mineral that was used in building material throughout the 19th and 20th centuries that now has to be removed when older buildings are being renovated or demolished. Asbestos is classified as a hazardous substance and known carcinogen because it can cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major cavities and organs.
By law, asbestos can only be removed by a certified worker who has completed a four-day, 32-hour training course that includes lectures, demonstration, a minimum of 14 hours of hands-on training and respirator fit testing. The student must pass a closed-book examination to become certified and take a refresher course every year after certification.
If asbestos is not removed correctly, the risk of asbestos exposure is high, especially for those working around the asbestos. When disturbed, asbestos releases minute fibers that can be easily inhaled. These fibers lodge in the lungs and cause damage over decades that eventually develops into pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, which affect the lining of the lungs and abdomen respectively.
Lowe admitted to not teaching the required number of hours, holding classes that were under 30 minutes, providing answers to exams, and forging tests for students. He would then issue certificates to students and charge their employers.
