A New Jersey contractor, Jose Correa, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of negligently releasing asbestos into the air, endangering the lives of workers and others at a Harlem supermarket. The case, announced by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, EPA-CID Special Agent Tyler Amon, and NYC Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber, highlights the serious health risks of improper asbestos removal.
Correa, 66, who served as the general contractor for a supermarket construction project in East Harlem, made a critical error by not hiring a certified asbestos abatement contractor. Instead, he assigned his own crew to handle the removal of asbestos-laden floor tiles and mastic in late 2022. In a further lapse of judgment, he failed to supply essential protective gear such as masks and suits for his workers, resulting in the dangerous release of asbestos fibers into the environment. Exposure to asbestos is known to lead to serious respiratory illnesses, including cancer and other potentially fatal conditions.
“As he admitted in court today, Jose Correa decided to cut corners by failing to hire an asbestos abatement contractor to safely remove floor tiles and mastic from a supermarket in East Harlem. Correa instead had construction workers complete this dangerous work—without providing them with basic safety equipment—and put in harm’s way those he had a responsibility to protect. This Office remains committed to protecting all individuals from the harms caused by environmental crimes,”declared, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams
The investigation was sparked by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, which alerted the DOI to the potential health hazards. DOI Commissioner Strauber emphasized that Correa’s actions violated federal safety regulations designed to protect workers and the public from asbestos-related dangers.
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “Abatement of asbestos poses serious safety risks to workers and to the public if handled improperly, and federal regulations governing abatement are intended to reduce those risks. Today, the general contractor responsible for an illegal abatement at a Harlem supermarket pleads guilty to a felony, showing that flouting those regulations has serious consequences. I thank the NYC Department of Environmental Protection for notifying DOI and prompting this investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their partnership on this case.”
Correa, who faces up to one year in prison, will be sentenced at a later date by U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. The case serves as a warning to contractors and others in the construction industry that disregarding safety regulations, particularly in hazardous work like asbestos removal, can have serious legal and health consequences.
“Asbestos exposure can cause cancer, lung disease, and other serious respiratory diseases. In this case, General Contractor Correa failed to hire trained and certified asbestos abatement professionals. Defendant Correa did the work ‘on the cheap,’ negligently putting workers and others at risk,” said EPA-CID Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon.
