State Targets ‘Illegal Asbestos Transfer Station’ In West Haven

WEST HAVEN, CT — Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a motion for contempt Friday against James Pero, the owner of a West Haven asbestos removal business who is accused of maintaining his property at 18 Helm Street as an “illegal asbestos transfer station.”

Besides the trailers and containers full of asbestos, the site is “strewn with other waste, including used tires and oil drums,” according to a press release.

"This site is a threat to public health and the environment and must be remediated immediately,” Tong said in a statement. “James Pero was ordered back in 2014 to remove all asbestos and waste from this site and to remediate the property. James Pero has not cleaned up his act. He has ignored the fine, refused to remediate the site, and continues to bring in new materials, which he has irresponsibly stashed all over his property in open containers and loose bags. We will prosecute this matter to the fullest extent to ensure compliance.”

Pero was fined $32,000 in 2014 and ordered to "promptly" remove all asbestos waste from the site, including a 100 cubic yard trailer filled with asbestos waste. He was also required to retain a licensed environmental consultant, to submit a remediation plan, and document removal of all asbestos waste, solid waste and used oil on the site. Officials say Pero did none of those things.

“Today’s action by the Attorney General sends a clear message that this type of blatant disregard of environmental laws will not be tolerated,” Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie S. Dykes said. “This is the result of a collaborative effort among the Attorney General’s Office, Department of Public Health and our department to ensure the environment and public health is protected and to hold the responsible party accountable.”

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection recently conducted site inspections that indicate Pero continues to “illegally operate.”

“Evidence suggests Pero has brought new asbestos-containing waste material to the site,” the release states. “DEEP investigators observed asbestos and asbestos-containing material stored in unlocked trailers and open containers, although much of the asbestos is stored in trash bags, some of it is loose and scattered on the ground.”

The motion for contempt urges the court to “impose coercive remedies, including potential incarceration, to compel compliance and expedite remediation of the unacceptable conditions at the site.”