Press Release: 4/24/2026
AG's Office Sues Millbury-Based Renovation Company, Subcontractor, Property Manager Over Improper Asbestos Abatement Work
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
4/23/2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary
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Call Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
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Email Kennedy Sims, Deputy Press Secretary at Kennedy.Sims@mass.gov
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) filed a lawsuit against, Millbury-based renovation company Flodell Builders, Inc. (Flodell), Milford-based subcontractor SPG Home Services Inc. (SPG), Millbury-based property management company Libertas Realty LLC (Libertas), and Libertas’s manager Pamela Nydam for the improper removal, handling, and storage of asbestos-containing material during renovation work at a multi-story, mixed use building on Elm Street in Millbury.
According to the AGO’s complaint, Nydam and Libertas hired Flodell to conduct renovation work on the building, and Flodell hired SPG as its subcontractor to remove the first and second floor apartment balconies of the multi-story building. A November 2023 survey indicated the building’s siding contained asbestos. The AGO alleges that in July 2024, the Defendants began work to remove the balconies, despite failing to notify or obtain authorization from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) prior to conducting this asbestos abatement activity, and to notify the occupants of the two apartment units in the building. Moreover, SPG did not hold any requisite asbestos-related licenses or certifications from the Department of Labor Standards (DLS).
The AGO alleges that, prior to any work beginning, the Defendants were issued a verbal cease and desist by the Town of Millbury, but the Defendants ignored the order. During the removal, the AGO alleges that the Defendants committed several additional asbestos-related violations, including scattering pieces of asbestos-containing siding around the work area; failing to isolate and seal the openings on the side of the building where the work took place, including openings to residential apartments; failing to spread plastic sheeting at the base of the building; commingling asbestos-contaminated debris with other debris; and failing to properly containerize the asbestos containing siding. During the asbestos abatement, the Defendants allowed workers to remove and handle asbestos-containing siding without protective equipment.
On the same day that work began, the AGO further alleges that Nydam swept, picked up, and tossed asbestos-containing material into an open top dumpster, causing visible pieces of asbestos containing material to become airborne.
The complaint further alleges that all of these actions by the Defendants exposed asbestos-containing material to the ambient air in and around the work area, which posed a risk to human health and the environment.
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 AGO alleges that the Defendants’ actions violated the Massachusetts Clean Air Act and DEP’s asbestos regulations. The AGO is asking the court to order the Defendants to pay a penalty and order them to comply with the Clean Air Act and asbestos regulations.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General John Craig of the AGO’s Environmental Protection Division, with support from chief Regional Counsel Anne Blackman, Regional Counsel Rebecca Gobeil, Deputy Regional Director John Volkerding, and Environmental Analysts Christa Cronk, Eric Gomes, and Juan Rascon all of DEP’s Central Region.