Probe finds shoddy asbestos work, forged safety cards at NYCHA sites in Staten Island

The city Department of Investigation arrested two workers employed by ABCD Construction for carrying forged Occupational Safety and Health Administration cards as part of what the agency calls an "ongoing initiative." ABCD is doing construction work on several buildings in the NYCHA-run Berry Houses in Dongan Hills. (Staten Island Advance/John Annese)

 

JUNE 25, 2015

 

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. 

 

A probe into renovation work at two Staten Island New York City Housing Authority complexes revealed improper asbestos disposal methods and workers with forged safety certification cards, the Advance has learned. 

 

The probe, launched by the city Department of Investigation as part of an "ongoing initiative," resulted in five arrests -- three at the Richmond Terrace Houses in New Brighton, and two at the Berry Houses in Dongan Hills -- a spokeswoman for the agency confirmed to the Advance.

On Tuesday, a DOI investigator arrested Cesar Ripalda, 55, a foreman of a licensed asbestos removal crew working in 456 Richmond Terrace, one of the buildings in the Richmond Terrace Houses, charging him with criminal nuisance, according to court papers.

Ripalda "failed to maintain minimum safety standards and abide by recommendations of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection," alleges a complaint filed in Stapleton Criminal Court.

A DEP inspector saw Ripalda's crew "failing to use water to wet down asbestos bricks before removal, failing to properly bag and seal broken down asbestos bricks, and leaving loose bricks of asbestos on scaffolds as said scaffolds were brought down," the complaint alleges.

DOI investigators also busted two workers at the Berry Houses and two at the Richmond Terrace Houses for carrying fake safety cards, said DOI spokeswoman Diane Struzzi.

The Richmond Terrace Houses workers were hired by Lakhi General Contracting Inc. in East Norwich, the Berry Houses workers by ABCD Construction in Brooklyn. Neither company's officials returned messages seeking comment Thursday.

The Advance has also reached out to NYCHA for comment.

Jony Yagual, 54, and Marlon Garcia, 44, both of Queens, were working at 476 Richmond Terrace with forged TSC Scaffold Safety cards that "bore numerous graphical errors and spelling errors,"  according to the criminal complaints against them.

Yagual told a DOI investigator, "I knew it was a risk. I knew it was fake. I needed the job. I paid $80 for it," the complaint against him alleges. Garcia said, "I bought it for $40... on Roosevelt," according to authorities.

A legitimate card signifies the holder has taken a scaffolding safety course.
Andreas Laliotis, 47, and Laquan Holloway, 26, both of Brooklyn, were working at 1754 Richmond Road, one of the buildings in the Berry Houses, with fake federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration cards, the DOI alleges.
Holloway and Laliotis each told investigators a relative provided the cards, court papers allege.

All four were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a misdemeanor, according to information from Acting District Attorney Daniel Master's office.

Yagual and Garcia pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct Wednesday, and were each fined $200, a law enforcement source said.
Source:silive.com