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The Daily OrangeSyracuse lab indicted for faking asbestos reports of SU properties
University reports 'no reason for concern'
By Abram Brown
Posted: 5/29/09, 8:07 PM EST Section: News
A Syracuse asbestos-removal company was indicted on federal charges Thursday of falsifying reports that it removed and tested asbestos at the Alpha Chi Omega sorority house at Syracuse University as well as falsifying tests done at several SU residence halls and academic buildings.
Certified Environmental Services, Inc. and six individuals were charged in the indictment, including the owner, Barbara Duchene, and two supervisors, Nicole Copeland and Elisa Dunn. Charges in the indictment list Clean Air Act violations, mail fraud and making false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency. CES also falsified reports at about 30 other central New York properties.
Copeland and Dunn filed reports stating they had properly examined and tested the AXO house in August 2007, according to the indictment. But prosecutors allege that the company failed to properly test the property for asbestos and did not remove hazardous asbestos.
CES also falsified reports that it tested 11 different Syracuse University properties for asbestos from 2004 to 2006, according to the indictment. The properties include Brewster, Brockway and Flint halls, Archbold Gymnasium, the School of Nursing, and former Theta Chi fraternity house where a university parking garage now sits at 403 Comstock Ave. Academic buildings on SU property were also listed in the indictment including Newhouse II, Link Hall, Hinds Hall, Slocum Hall and Lyman Hall.
Asbestos was a fiber commonly used in insulation until it was found that prolonged exposure causes a number of diseases including mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the internal organs, according to the Mayo Clinic Web site.
In response to the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, university spokesman Kevin Morrow released a statement addressing several concerns over the falsified reports. He stated that the asbestos work on university projects were performed in accordance with the university's Physical Plant Environmental Shop or Environmental Protection Services, Inc. requirements. The university has had another monitoring firm conduct visual inspections and air samplings in the locations identified in the indictment, Morrow said in the statement.
Certified Environmental Services, Inc. and six individuals were charged in the indictment, including the owner, Barbara Duchene, and two supervisors, Nicole Copeland and Elisa Dunn. Charges in the indictment list Clean Air Act violations, mail fraud and making false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency. CES also falsified reports at about 30 other central New York properties.
Copeland and Dunn filed reports stating they had properly examined and tested the AXO house in August 2007, according to the indictment. But prosecutors allege that the company failed to properly test the property for asbestos and did not remove hazardous asbestos.
CES also falsified reports that it tested 11 different Syracuse University properties for asbestos from 2004 to 2006, according to the indictment. The properties include Brewster, Brockway and Flint halls, Archbold Gymnasium, the School of Nursing, and former Theta Chi fraternity house where a university parking garage now sits at 403 Comstock Ave. Academic buildings on SU property were also listed in the indictment including Newhouse II, Link Hall, Hinds Hall, Slocum Hall and Lyman Hall.
Asbestos was a fiber commonly used in insulation until it was found that prolonged exposure causes a number of diseases including mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the internal organs, according to the Mayo Clinic Web site.
In response to the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, university spokesman Kevin Morrow released a statement addressing several concerns over the falsified reports. He stated that the asbestos work on university projects were performed in accordance with the university's Physical Plant Environmental Shop or Environmental Protection Services, Inc. requirements. The university has had another monitoring firm conduct visual inspections and air samplings in the locations identified in the indictment, Morrow said in the statement.
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