Feds: LI company's work put public at risk for exposure to lead-based paint
Federal officials have alleged in a new lawsuit that a New Hyde Park company threatened the health of the public, including children, by risking exposure to lead-based paint hazards during abatement and renovation work at New York City residential properties.
The civil action in U.S. District Court against Precision Consulting Inc. and its owner, Wayne Gladney, of Queens Village, seeks an order preventing the defendants from doing such work in ways that violate federal law.
Since 2012, the company has done more than two dozen unlawful lead-based paint abatements and performed renovations that violated federal standards, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
The lawsuit, which the office of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard Donoghue filed for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, claims the business' actions violated the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Lead-based paint was widely used in residential buildings constructed before the late 1970s, but exposure can cause health problems for adults and children, with those ages six and younger becoming vulnerable to reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing and hyperactivity, according to federal prosecutors.
"This office seeks an injunction to end these practices, demonstrating its commitment to protecting the public's health from those who act outside the law," Donoghue said in a statement Tuesday.
Federal officials claim in part that the company violated the law by failing to assign a certified supervisor to oversee the abatements and failing to get EPA certification before at least one renovation.
A man who confirmed his identity as Gladney when reached by phone Tuesday said he wanted to consult with his attorney before fully addressing the allegations.
However, he added that he remembered doing some projects without a supervisor on site but "still followed all the federal regulations," and wasn't aware of the need for a supervisor until the EPA contacted him later.
'I had to keep my mouth shut' Ronnie Tanner, a horse jockey in the '60s and '70s, and Kendrick Carmouche, a current jockey, spoke about the racism Black jockeys have faced. NewsdayTV's Jamie Stuart reports.
'I had to keep my mouth shut' Ronnie Tanner, a horse jockey in the '60s and '70s, and Kendrick Carmouche, a current jockey, spoke about the racism Black jockeys have faced. NewsdayTV's Jamie Stuart reports.