Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a lawsuit against the Will County Metropolitan Exposition & Auditorium Authority; R. Berti & Son Contractor Inc. (Berti), doing business as R. Berti Building Solutions; and Universal Asbestos Removal Inc. (Universal) over the alleged improper removal and storage of materials containing asbestos during a renovation project at the Rialto Square Theatre in downtown Joliet, Illinois.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants conducted unsafe renovations at the historic theatre, failing to properly handle and store asbestos-containing materials. There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
“The improper handling and storage of materials containing asbestos is dangerous to the health of workers and the general public,” Raoul said. “I am committed to ensuring that the defendants are held accountable for creating this hazard and for preventing any further harm to the public’s health and the environment.”
Raoul’s lawsuit is based on a referral from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).
After receiving a complaint regarding the presence of dry asbestos-containing material, officials from the IEPA inspected the site and observed bags of broken and stripped thermal system pipe insulation containing asbestos. The bags were not sealed to prevent the release of the dangerous fibers, and the material they contained was found to be dry, without needed moisture to prevent the asbestos fibers from migrating into the environment. The inspection also showed a failure to isolate the area where asbestos removal was taking place and insufficient measures taken to prevent the migration of asbestos fibers from the basement through doors and other entry points into the main event space on the first floor of the building.
Attorney General Raoul’s lawsuit seeks remediation of all asbestos contamination in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations before the theatre is reopened.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Christopher Grant and Assistant Attorney General Cara Sawyer are handling the case for Raoul’s Environmental Bureau.
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