Contractor convicted of asbestos felony

Auburn, NY - A contractor has been found guilty of illegally dumping asbestos into an unapproved landfill.

Last month, John Chick agreed to a settlement of serving 15 months in jail followed by three years of probation for his involvement in an asbestos-tainted boiler being disposed of at the Auburn landfill. He had been contracted by Cayuga County in February 2006 to supervise the removal of the boiler and piping from the county elections board office. However, he was later charged with conspiring to violate the federal Clean Air Act once it was discovered the material had been removed improperly.

In addition to prison time, Mr. Chick was also required to pay $108,000 to the county for asbestos cleanup costs at the Auburn landfill.

He was not as angry about being convicted as he was mad that he was the only person held responsible. He insisted that two other men were involved in the incident as well - former county Legislature Chairman George Fearon and former Building and Grounds Superintendent Ernest DiCaro.

Neither man had even been charged for the crime, but the U.S. District Court judge who sentenced Mr. Chick noted that the contractor had obviously been following the instructions of other individuals in committing the felony.

Dozens of plaintiffs, including county employees, have filed lawsuits against Cayuga County for putting them at risk for asbestos exposure.

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