Press Release: 5/5/2025
AG's Office Announces Settlements Over Illegal Asbestos Work At Former Springfield YMCA
Defendants to Pay $105,000 into Environmental Justice Trust, Additional Civil Penalties
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
5/02/2025
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Sydney Heiberger, Press Secretary
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Call Sydney Heiberger, Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
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Email Sydney Heiberger, Press Secretary at Sydney.Heiberger@mass.gov
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) today announced that the Suffolk Superior Court has entered consent judgments with Ray Services, Inc. (Ray) and Allegrone Construction Company, Inc. (Allegrone) over allegations that the companies violated the Massachusetts Clean Air Act and its asbestos regulations. The AGO alleges that the companies illegally removed, handled, and stored asbestos-contaminated demolition debris during asbestos abatement work at the former Springfield YMCA facility at 275 Chestnut Street.
The AGO initially filed a complaint against the companies in 2021, alleging that Ray and Allegrone stored asbestos-containing materials in and around a rusted-through storage container next to a parking lot and playground, stored asbestos abatement equipment in an unsecured room next to an active classroom, and scraped asbestos-containing material without keeping it sufficiently wet and without ensuring the work area was contained. This illegal work risked harm to the defendants’ employees and contractors, as well as the public and environment in the dense residential and commercial neighborhood surrounding the former YMCA.
The consent judgements resolve the AGO’s complaint against both companies. Under the terms of the consent judgment with Ray, the company will pay a $150,000 civil penalty, $50,000 of which will be suspended contingent upon Ray’s avoiding future violations of the Clean Air Act, and $50,000 of which will be paid into the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Fund to support on-the-ground projects to address environmental harms in disadvantaged communities across the Commonwealth. Ray is also required to ensure that its workers receive additional asbestos abatement training and provide MassDEP with additional notice of its abatement work.
Under the terms of the consent judgement with Allegrone, the company will pay a $150,000 civil penalty, $40,000 of which will be suspended contingent upon Allegrone’s avoiding future violations of the Clean Air Act, and $55,000 will be paid into the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Fund. Allegrone is also required to maintain certain personnel with asbestos training on their worksites.
In March, the Court entered a separate consent judgment with O’Reilly, Talbot & Okun Associates, Inc., the asbestos project monitor for the work, requiring it to pay a $25,000 penalty in relation to some of the asbestos violations. In January 2024, the Court entered a default judgment against Service Transport Group, Inc., the company that provided the faulty storage container for the project.
Asbestos is a hazardous material and known human carcinogen regulated under the Clean Air Act. It is used as fireproofing in a wide variety of building materials, from roofing and flooring, to siding and wallboard, to caulking and insulation, and is especially prevalent in older construction. If asbestos is improperly handled or maintained, fibers can be released into the air and inhaled, devastating the lungs, causing scarring, malfunction, and potentially life-threatening illnesses, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Once disturbed, asbestos fibers can remain airborne, and therefore breathable for up to 72 hours. Because of the serious health risks associated with asbestos, there is no safe level of exposure.
The Environmental Justice Trust was established in 2024 and supports projects that address environmental harms in disadvantaged communities across the Commonwealth. Funded through civil penalties obtained in judgements and settlements by the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division, the Trust benefits community health by addressing economic, environmental, and health-related burdens.
This case was handled by Senior Enforcement Counsel Tracy Triplett and Deputy Division Chief Lou Dundin of the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division, with assistance from MassDEP Western Region Chief Regional Counsel Christine LeBel, and Asbestos Section Chief John Moriarty.