NY Lawyer Applauds New York City's Efforts to Increase Asbestos Oversight

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Joseph W. Belluck

People have a legal right to breathe air free of cancer-causing asbestos and know with certainty that the buildings in which they live and work aren't harming their health

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 23, 2010

New York attorney Joseph W. Belluck is applauding improvements in New York City’s oversight and monitoring of private asbestos inspectors, saying those steps are needed to protect public health.

“People have a legal right to breathe air free of cancer-causing asbestos and know with certainty that the buildings in which they live and work aren’t harming their health,” said Mr. Belluck, a partner in Belluck & Fox LLP, a personal injury law firm that represents victims of asbestos-related disease. “New York needs to restore confidence that the safety inspection process is protecting the public from asbestos exposure. These changes are necessary and overdue.”

The overhaul of asbestos inspector oversight by New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection was prompted by the recent case of a private asbestos safety inspector who admitted falsifying hundreds of reports that buildings were free of asbestos. In fact, the private inspector conducted no inspections for more than a decade, and even after his license was suspended in 2004, he continued to get work, according to an article in the New York Times. His admissions raised concerns about the oversight of asbestos inspectors who are licensed by New York’s environmental agency, the article reported.

If inhaled, asbestos dust can cause serious respiratory disease including mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen. Asbestos is now strictly regulated as a human carcinogen, but until the 1970s it was widely used in insulation and other building materials.

Before older NYC buildings are remodeled or demolished, developers or building owners hire private asbestos inspectors to survey a structure for the presence of asbestos. All asbestos fibers must be carefully contained and removed before a building is remodeled or demolished.

The changes outlined by the Department of Environmental Protection include increasing the annual number of field inspections and office audits of private asbestos inspectors, sharing licensing information with state and federal regulatory agencies, and converting to an Internet-based filing system that will automatically reject reports by inspectors whose licenses have been suspended or revoked.

“It’s quite concerning that we don’t know how many buildings were remodeled or demolished without safeguards or how many people were exposed to asbestos because of the city’s lapses in oversight,” Mr. Belluck said. “It is important to identify the gaps in oversight and take the necessary steps to correct them.”

About Belluck & Fox, LLP

Belluck & Fox LLP is a nationally recognized law firm that represents individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims, as well as victims of crime, medical malpractice, motorcycle crashes, lead paint and other serious injuries. The firm has won more than $200 million in compensation for its clients and their families.

Partner Jordan Fox is a well-known asbestos and mesothelioma attorney who has been named to the Best Lawyers in America, New York Magazine’s “The Best Lawyers in the New York Area” and to Super Lawyers. On two separate occasions his verdicts were featured as the National Law Journal’s Largest Verdict of the Year.

Partner Joseph W. Belluck is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in New York Magazine’s “The Best Lawyers in the New York Area” and in Super Lawyers. Mr. Belluck has won numerous cases involving injuries from asbestos, defective medical products, tobacco and lead paint, including a recent asbestos case that settled for more than $12 million.

For more information, contact the firm at (877) 695-2909 or through their online contact form.

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