More than 150 employees at the Salinas (CA) courthouse have sued the construction company that was allegedly responsible for releasing asbestos into their work areas for 18 months beginning February 2005.

According to a report in the Monterey County Herald, “project managers for Nova Partners Inc. and Skanska USA Building Inc. intentionally created a false paper trail of e-mails to conceal that they were conducting demolition work without a required asbestos consultant, and despite dire warnings that the work would expose workers to potentially lethal levels of asbestos.”

Massive amounts of asbestos fibers were released into the first floor of the courthouse’s north wing, say experts. The area was being renovated in order to accommodate additional courtrooms.

The suit asks unspecified damages for the plaintiffs’ emotional distress “from a reasonable fear of developing cancer and other serious illnesses as a result of the exposure to asbestos and other toxic materials.”

This suit follows one filed by Judge Albert Maldonado, his bailiff, and another worker, who say they were severely sickened by asbestos as well as mold and other substances, during the north wing renovations. Two Monterey County Jail inmates have also filed suit, alleging that they were exposed to asbestos during their frequent trips to the courthouse.

A spokesman for Skanska has called this most recent suit “meritless.” Nova representatives could not be reached for comment.

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