A Central Louisiana roofing contractor pleaded guilty to illegally disposing of hazardous waste by burning roofing materials containing asbestos on his property.
An article in Town Talk revealed that contractor Walter Monroe Smith, owner of Rapides Roofing and Home Repair instructed his employees to burn asbestos roof tiles on his Deville, Louisiana property.
In 2010, just one year after his first charge Smith once again had his employees burn hazardous materials including tire rims and plastics on his property.
Earlier this week Smith accepted a plea and was sentenced to five years of hard labor, which was suspended. Instead he will be on probation for three years and must pay close to $4,000 in fines and court costs.
Proper disposal of asbestos, which can cause numerous pulmonary diseases including mesothelioma, is critical to protect the health of employees and residents in the area. Numerous companies have been sued by
mesothelioma attorneys for negligently exposing others to asbestos, a known carcinogen.
Companies that dispose of materials containing asbestos and use the material in products are obliged to protect the environment and their employees.
Mesothelioma lawyers have successfully won multi-million dollar lawsuits for the people they represent.
In spite of the knowledge that asbestos can be detrimental to human health, contractors chose to risk the well-being of others to save money. In the long run it can cost them more, especially if they must face a
mesothelioma attorney in court and are forced to compensate people that contract asbestos-related diseases because of their negligence.
