WHITESBORO -- An Oriskany man pleads guilty to violating the Clean Air Act.
74-year-old Leonard Pugh is an owner of the 44 Mohawk Street LLC, a limited liability corporation. The company owned a building at 44 Old Mohawk Street in Whitesboro.
Prosecutors say it had about 6,000 square feet of asbestos.
In federal court, Pugh admitted he hired an unlicensed person to demolish the building, knowing he would not notify the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the demolition, maintain asbestos in a wet condition during the removal and dispose of the asbestos in a landfill authorized to accept asbestos contaminated materials.
Asbestos can cause various forms of cancer and asbestosis, which is a nearly always fatal lung disease.
The EPA says there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.
Pugh faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He's scheduled to be sentenced on January 10.
