Politics & Government
Lynnfield Asbestos Company Arraigned
David Harder, 47, and Julie Rosati, 51, are facing numerous state charges stemming from asbestos removal work performed in Marblehead and other North Shore communities.
The office of Attorney General Martha Coakley has announced the arraignment of two Lynnfield residents in a case involving the improper removal and disposal of asbestos in Marblehead.
According to the announcement, David Harder, Jr., 47, and Julie Rosati, 51, both of Lynnfield, were arraigned on 12 counts of violating the Massachusetts Clean Air Act, two counts of violating the Massachusetts Solid Waste Act, and four counts of evasion of unemployment insurance. The charges stem from asbestos removal work performed on various buildings in Marblehead, Lynn, and Beverly.
Harder, along with Luiz Dias, 43, of Pelham, NH, was also reportedly arraigned for filing false statements for the protection of the environment, and conspiracy to file false environmental reports. Rosati is also charged with filing false statements for the protection of the environment.
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The case was the result of the interagency Massachusetts Environmental Strike Force and reportedly began in September 2010 when officials learned that AEI Environmental, LLC and its owners, Harder and Rosati, were allegedly storing bags of asbestos at a self-storage facility in Lynnfield in violation of the Clean Air Act. Upon further investigation, authorities found hundreds of bags of asbestos debris from company work.
Officials also charge that the defendants were not properly licensed to remove asbestos, and that they failed to notify the state Department of Environmental Protection about their asbestos work. Coakley’s office alleges that Harder would convince other contractors on location to file the state asbestos notifications, apparently to make it look like the work was performed by another entity.
Find out what's happening in Marbleheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Also, the defendants are accused of falsifying documents used by the Mass. DEP to ensure safe asbestos work, and they are also accused of failing to follow proper asbestos abatement procedures. They also allegedly failed to make unemployment insurance payments for their employees.
On March 18, an Essex County Grand Jury reportedly returned indictments against AEI Environmental, Harder, Rosati, and Dias. The defendants were arraigned in Essex Superior Court and each entered individual pleas of not guilty
They are due back in court on June 16 for a pre-trial conference, with AEI Environmental expected to be arraigned at that point.
