Former Lynnfield Asbestos Removal Company Owner Sentenced For Probation Violation

LYNNFIELD, MA—A former co-owner of AEI Environmental LLC, who was found to be illegally storing bags of asbestos at a Lynnfield self-storage facility in 2012, was sentenced to 60 days in prison for a probation violation Wednesday.

David Harder, 51, of Lynnfield was sentenced to 60 days in the House of Corrections by Essex Superior Court Judge John T. Lu for violating his probation stemming from a 2012 violation of the state's asbestos management laws, according to an announcement from Attorney General Maura Healy. In May, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) had discovered that Harder had been involved with an asbestos abatement project in Dedham, which violated the terms of his probation.

“This individual blatantly disregarded the terms of his probation after pleading guilty to improperly removing and disposing of asbestos debris,” said Healey in the statement. “Asbestos is a hazardous and dangerous material that must be properly handled to ensure public safety.”

Harder's probation terms dictated that he was barred from working in the environmental remediation business–which includes the asbestos abatement business—either independently or for any company engaged in environmental remediation.

Harder, and his co-owner Julie Rosati, 52, of Lynnfield plead guilty to 12 counts of violating the Massachusetts Clean Air Act, two counts of violating the Massachusetts Solid Waste Act and three counts of the evasion of unemployment insurance.

An investigation by the Massachusetts Environmental Strike Force and MassDEP found that the co-owners of AEI engaged in the illegal and improper removal of asbestos at numerous locations in Lynn, Beverly and Marblehead, which included both schools and public buildings without notifying MassDEP.

The investigation also revealed that Harder and Rosati were illegally storing hundreds of bags containing asbestos debris at a Lynnfield self-storage facility.

Rosati was also found to have falsified documents used by MassDEP to ensure that asbestos work is performed safely, according to the statement.

“Asbestos is a hazardous material that must be properly removed and reported to ensure the public’s safety,” Former Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a 2012 statement. “These individuals disregarded the laws around asbestos removal and put people at risk of being exposed to this dangerous toxin.”

The investigation into AEI revealed that the co-owners failed to make any unemployment insurance contributions for their employees. Harder, Rosati and AEI employee Luiz Dias, 43, of Pelham, New Hampshire, were arraigned in May of 2011.