Federal and state authorities have removed 48 boxes of evidence from the home of Louis Sinisgalli in Pittsford, New York. One box contained $827,375 in cash they found in a bedroom closet.

Sinisgalli is a demolition contractor, of Sinisgalli, Inc.

Sinisgalli, Inc. has been under investigation since last summer. The focus of the initial investigation was alleged illegal dumping of debris, including asbestos. Now the authorities are also investigated alleged mail and wire fraud, as well as the company’s failure to file federal income and corporate tax returns during a five year period when the company took in over $8 million. $5 million of that money came from contracts with the city of Rochester, New York.

Sinisgalli Inc. is at the center of a widening probe that began last summer, focused initially on the handling of city demolition contracts and alleged illegal dumping of the debris. But records now reveal authorities also are investigating Sinisgalli for mail and wire fraud, and for failing to file federal income tax and corporate tax returns the five years while his company took in more than $8 million, including $5 million from the city.

The court records also implicate Sinisgalli’s wife, Donna Caceci-Sinisgalli, as well as 2 other longtime employees of the company.

Police believe the workers dumped asbestos and other demolition debris in High Acres Landfill in Perinton, New York without proper permits or the landfill operator’s knowledge.

In doing so, they pocketed money meant to pay for dumping fees. In addition, they may have jeopardized the health of landfill workers and the general public.

Some believe the asbestos dumping may have also happened in some of the most destitute neighborhoods of Rochester.

If asbestos is not properly disposed of, it can become airborne. Asbestos inhalation is linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma.

For more than two decades, people have been trying to garner support for a clean-up initiative at a former Air Force radar station located on a scenic mountain overlooking Silicon Valley. Now it seems that the clean-up project is gathering steam.

California Rep. Mike Honda is a supporter of the clean-up project. He hopes one day that the scenic summit of Mt. Umunhum will be open to hikers, bicyclists, and picnickers.

The former Almaden Air Force Station, which operated from 1957 to 1980, is located on the top of Mount Umunhum. Named for the Ohlone Indian word for hummingbird, the 3,486-foot peak towers above South San Jose. It remains off limits because 88 buildings where Air Force crew members and their families lived and worked sit abandoned. A once vibrant community is now nothing more than a crumbling ghost town contaminated with asbestos and lead paint.

Over the last two decades the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, the public agency that owns the land, has been butting heads with the Defense Department. The MROSD insists that the Defense Department should pay to demolish and haul away the buildings.

However, Pentagon officials disagreed about the extent of the federal government’s cleanup responsibilities.

Now that support for the clean-up is mounting, political pressure is being applied to the Defense Department.

In December, a request was submitted under President Obama’s federal stimulus program for the $11 million needed to demolish the buildings, repave five miles of Mount Umunhum Road, and open a small visitor center.

Rep. Mike Honda also has pressured the Army Corps to finish studies of soil contamination for the area. The Army Corps of Engineers is willing to clean up any contaminated soil, but contends that the buildings were in good condition in 1986 when the open space district bought the land.

Asbestos, a recognized carcinogen, can be fatal if inhaled, as it can cause mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer.

Opelousas High School in Louisiana was hit hard last September by Hurricane Gustav. An entire wing of the school was destroyed, forcing the school to erect makeshift classrooms in the school gymnasium.

Now the school is finally poised to begin rebuilding. Major construction is scheduled to begin soon, and it is hoped that the construction will be complete by the end of the summer.

M.D. Descant Construction will be handling the major construction. In addition to roofing and replacing walls, work must be done to remove the asbestos from the school. The asbestos removal will be handled by Poche & Associates.

The asbestos removal will be done when the students and staff of the school are not present.

Asbestos removal in schools can be time-consuming, and prohibitively expensive. Many school districts that wish to remove asbestos lurking in their buildings are often unable to afford the services of a professional asbestos abatement team.

Asbestos is recognized as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

If inhaled or ingested, asbestos can lead to serious health problems. Exposure to asbestos is linked to health conditions including asbestosis (a chronic inflammatory disease), lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Though there is no cure for this disease, there are a variety of palliative mesothelioma treatment options available.

Asbestos was at one time widely used in buildings components such as insulation, siding, and tiles. It was favored for resisting chemical and fire damage. At present, asbestos is not banned in the United States, and manufacturers can develop products using asbestos, but asbestos must account for less than 1% of the final product.

An asbestos removal company in Lawrence, Massachusetts may face a fine of up to $18,137 after being cited by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for violating state asbestos regulations.

The company, Environmental Source Corp., is located at 181 Canal St. in Lawrence.

DEP inspectors first became aware of potential violations when they were called in to investigate a complaint regarding an asbestos siding removal project at a local home. At that time, DEP inspectors found pieces of dry, shattered asbestos-containing materials sitting uncontained on the ground at the work site.

DEP regulations require contractors to wet and carefully lower asbestos-containing siding to the ground. The asbestos must then be sealed into leak-tight containers that have been marked with the appropriate warning labels. These guidelines are in place in order to protect workers and building occupants from an accidental asbestos release. When inhaled, asbestos can lead to lung cancer, asbestosis, or mesothelioma.

“Licensed asbestos contractors are fully aware that the prescribed regulatory work procedures are critical to the protection of their workers, public health and the environment,” said Lee Dillard Adams, deputy director of DEP’s Central Regional Office in Worcester. “Failure to strictly adhere to all required work practices inevitably results in significant penalty exposure and escalated cleanup, decontamination, and monitoring costs.”

Environmental Source Corp. may have a portion of the fine suspended, provided the company does not have any further violations over the next 12 months.

The DEP is responsible for ensuring clean air and water, correct disposal of hazardous materials, cleanup for hazmat sites, and the preservation of wetlands and estuaries.

According to a Korean news outlet, one in five demolition sites is over the permissible limit for asbestos air density.

The amount of asbestos in the air at each demolition site varied, but it was reported that each demolition site in violation had between 1.34 and 67 times higher asbestos density that is permitted.

This report was released by the Korean Environmental Ministry. The Ministry stated that 31 out the 155 demolition sites reviewed exceeded the limit of 1 particle per 100 cubic centimeters of air.

The Environmental Ministry commissioned Professor Paik Nam-won of Seoul National University to carry out this study. Paik Nam-won is concerned about the results of the study, stating “Exposure to even the slightest amount of asbestos is risky. The result of the study is especially alarming as residents near the construction sites and passersby are exposed to a high density of asbestos.”

Asbestos is recognized as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Exposure to asbestos is linked to health conditions including asbestosis (a chronic inflammatory disease), lung cancer, and mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen).

Asbestos was at one time widely used in buildings components such as insulation, siding, and tiles. Asbestos is banned in many countries. Usage has not yet been banned in the US.

Korea recently banned asbestos, effective at the start of 2009. However, Korean experts have estimated that 80 to 90 percent of old buildings that are currently being remodeled or demolished contain asbestos.

At the annual conference of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization in Manhattan Beach, California, an announcement was made that a new tool had been developed to aid in early detection of asbestos-related disease, such as mesothelioma.

The announcement was made by Doctor Michael Harbut, who is the co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, MI.

A new radiological technique has been developed by Dr. Carmen Endress, who is also employed at the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers. This technique enables radiologists to visualize lesions caused by asbestos in 3-D. The technique is capable of making these lesions visible much earlier than was previously possible.

The new process is executed by using images from a 64-slice high resolution CT scan, and then enhancing those images with an imaging software program.

“The benefits of this new approach include the possibility of earlier detection; better differentiation between patients with scarring on the lungs and other diseases; assistance in determining why some people who have thickening on the covering of the lungs have uncontrolled, unrelenting pain; and potentially increased success in the overall diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related disease,” said Dr. Harbut.

Harbut went on to suggest that this new imaging technique can also be used as a tool for public health and safety. Now that cases can be detected earlier, doctors may now be able to pinpoint previously undetected sources of asbestos exposure, and take action to remove people from asbestos release locations.

Another added benefit of the clarity of the images from this new technique will be found in courtrooms. With a cleaner image to work from, it will be easier to review x-rays for a patient and determine if their health issues are due to asbestos exposure.

Mesothelioma treatment options have advanced significantly in the last decade.

Many decades ago Ambler, Pennsylvania was a hub of asbestos manufacturing. Factories in that town manufactured asbestos-laden insulation for water pipes, as well as siding, shingles, and brake shoes for cars.

All of this occurred before environmental regulations were in place, and the factories simply dumped waste that had been contaminated with asbestos.

It is now estimated that there may be as many as 3 million tons of asbestos waste in the town, spread across 66 acres.

The worst of the dump sites has been covered with a mountain of dirt in order to prevent the asbestos from becoming airborne. When asbestos becomes airborne, and is inhaled, it causes diseases such as lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma.

The EPA has taken some measures, but most of the residents of Ambler feel like the EPA’s support is nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

Citizens for a Better Ambler have proposed that the EPA should deal with the asbestos problem by using high-temperature technology from west coast firm ARI Technologies. This technology has been used by the Navy to turn asbestos into an environmentally safe gravel.

“ARI has developed a process that destroys asbestos with 100% efficiency,” said Dale Timmons with ARI Technologies. “By that we mean it destroys every single fiber.”

However, the cost of this new technology is prohibitively expensive. To process costs an estimated $135 per ton. With up to 3 million tons located in Ambler, the cost is astronomical.

Two historic homes in Cape May, New Jersey, have just been granted approvals for renovations that will include the addition of elevators, as well as the removal of asbestos siding.

The city’s Historic Preservation Commission granted approvals on Monday for two historic homes located at 537 Bank St. and 213 Broadway.

The elevators are being added to these historic homes in order to provide better access for visitors with disabilities.

The home located at 213 Broadway will be getting quite a face lift in the coming months.

The Historic Preservation Commission granted approval for a rear addition to be added to the house at 213 Broadway. The house already features a small addition with a one-story shed roof which would be demolished.

The new addition would be two stories. In addition, the proposed new addition would expand the home’s kitchen, laundry and mud rooms.

In addition to the elevator, a handicap accessible ramp will be added to the home.

Most important of all is the removal of asbestos siding. The Historic Preservation Commission has regulations that prohibit asbestos siding on historic homes. Therefore, the asbestos siding must be removed and replaced with wood siding.

It is possible that the home’s original clapboard siding may still be hidden underneath the current asbestos siding.

Asbestos can lead to health problems such as lung cancer and mesothelioma if inhaled.

The Historic Preservation commission also gave final approval for renovations to a historic home at 537 Bank St., a tiny structure that may have housed railroad workers many years ago.

The Ash Grove Cement Company in Overland, Kansas is continuing the ongoing investigation of what is believed to be tremolite in the company’s quarries and plant.

As a precautionary measure, the cement company evacuated all employees. Though the employees had been out of work for the last two weeks, the hourly employees had received full pay for all the time they were unable to work due to the investigation.

However, the company has now stated that they will no longer be paying out-of-work employees during the investigation, effective next week.

Company officials have stated that they are working on lining up unemployment benefits for the fifty-seven workers who were sent home March 16th after suspected asbestos was discovered.

Employees will be paid through Friday, March 27th, and their health insurance premiums will be paid through April.

Test results from the quarry are expected early next month.

Workers were sent home on the 16th after what appeared to be tremolite was discovered in a section of the limestone quarry. Tremolite is a naturally occurring mineral form of asbestos. When inhaled, it can be dangerous. Inhalation can lead to asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

One employee for Ash Grove stated he has been employed there since 1987, and in all that time he had never seen or heard of anyone coming down with an illness that could be linked to asbestos exposure. However, it is known that asbestos can not cause serious health problems until decades after it has been inhaled.

When a Manhattan Beach, California resident died from a disease linked to asbestos exposure three years ago, his family vowed to provide support to other families in the same position.

Alan Reinstein contracted mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen. Mesothelioma is most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. Mr. Reinstein was likely exposed to asbestos while working on the construction of nuclear submarines in the 1960s. The latency period for asbestos-related diseases a minimum of 10 to 15 years, although the disease may not develop fully for up to three decades.

Alan Reinstein’s wife, Linda, founded the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization with her daughter in 2004. The ADAO now boasts over 4,000 members, and will be holding their 5th annual conference on Saturday March 28th. Doctors, those afflicted with asbestos-related diseases, and their family members.

Prominent guests at the conference include Stephen M. Levin, medical director of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Levin treats New Yorkers who were exposed to asbestos during the tragic events of 9-11.

Asbestos is a silicate mineral commonly used to coat pipes and wires. It can be found in such building components as siding, insulation, and roofing. Asbestos is mixed with cements and woven into fabrics because it has a high resistance to both heat and chemicals.

Although asbestos has been banned in 40 countries, the United States has not banned the substance, although use of asbestos is regulated.

According to official statistics, asbestos- related diseases kill 10,000 Americans a year, though the ADAO estimates the number of deaths yearly is actually closer to 40,000.