Mold Removal & Remediation near Boston, Massachusetts

Public Housing Notice 2005- 02

 
Memorandum
 
To:  All Local Housing Authorities
From:  Carole E. Collins, Director, Bureau of Housing Management
Subject:  Mold Issues
Date:  July 7, 2005
 
 
Recently, some local housing authorities (LHAs) have contacted DHCD for guidance on how to respond to incidences or reports of mold in buildings.  When possible mold is reported or observed LHAs should take action as follows:
 
Clean It Up.  The affected areas should immediately be cleaned.  Treat the situation as an emergency repair.  Successful outcomes for LHAs and tenants depend on quick responses to reports of mold.  Make sure that remedial work is well documented.  If the work is done by LHA staff, documentation should include completed work orders. If work is performed by outside contractors, contract documentation and LHA sign off of completed work will suffice.  Be sure that documentation is maintained showing that tenants receive written notification of necessary measures which are to be taken to abate or mitigate a condition.
 
Report It to DHCD.  Provide written notification of the situation to the LHAs housing management specialist.  Include in your notification:  the address of the affected unit, the extent of the condition, the measures taken and documented by the LHA to remediate the situation, and other relevant information that may be appropriate.  The housing management specialist will notify the LHA’s construction advisor and or project manager as necessary.
 
All LHAs should take steps to mitigate the occurrence of mold by regularly checking for moisture, leaks and mold when inspecting apartments and common areas.  Additional information can be found in the enclosed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publication, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home. We encourage you to share this booklet with your maintenance staff and other staff as appropriate.

New Englander is First Female Added to EPA’s Fugitives Web Site

Release date: 04/02/2009

Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – April 2, 2009) – Albania Deleon, former president of Massachusetts’ largest asbestos removal training school, has been added to EPA’s “environmental fugitives” Web site. Deleon failed to appear for her sentencing on March 23 at the Federal District Court, District of Massachusetts, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.

Last November, a federal jury convicted Deleon, a resident of Andover, Mass., of selling certificates from Environmental Compliance Training of Metheun, Mass., to hundreds of illegal immigrants who had not taken the mandatory training course. The individuals who purchased the training certificates without the training filed them with the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety so they could work in the asbestos removal industry. Hundreds of these individuals were sent to asbestos demolition sites in Massachusetts and other New England states.

Deleon sent the individuals to perform removal work at job sites through her temporary employment agency that specialized in asbestos demolition and paid them “under the table” for their work. She did not report these employees to the IRS and workers compensation organizations, allowing her to save more than $1 million dollars in tax and insurance payments. The company shut down in May 2007.

Last November, a federal jury convicted Deleon on 28 felony counts, including one count of conspiracy in making false statements, encouraging illegal aliens to reside in the U.S., and hiring illegal aliens; five counts of making false statements; sixteen counts of procuring false payroll tax returns, and six counts of mail fraud. Evidence presented at trial indicated that more than half of the individuals receiving certificates had not taken the necessary training, posing health risks to the individuals and to those near the asbestos work sites.

Deleon is a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic. Anyone sighting her should not attempt to apprehend her but should report the sighting through the EPA Fugitives Web site listed below or contact the EPA Criminal Investigation Division office in Boston, Massachusetts at (617) 918-2300.

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