Swanzey man pleads guilty to violating state regs for asbestos removal

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·2 min read

May 22—A Swanzey man has pleaded guilty and been sentenced in Sullivan County Superior Court for violating state regulations for transporting, containing and disposing of asbestos.

Aaron Doleszny, 35, was sentenced to 12 months in jail, all suspended for a period of three years, and ordered to pay a fine of $2,500, after pleading guilty to one felony count of improper asbestos management, Attorney General John M. Formella announced Monday.

Doleszny did not have to pay restitution because he previously paid for proper disposal of the asbestos materials after police and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services became aware of the violations. He is also prohibited from engaging in asbestos abatement activities during the three-year suspension term, prosecutors said.

Doleszny pleaded guilty to removing shingles that contained asbestos from a Charlestown home and then illegally disposing of the harmful materials, according to a statement from the Attorney General's Office.

Officials said Doleszny, who is not a licensed asbestos-removal contractor, did not properly seal the asbestos-containing materials. They said he also enlisted a 17-year-old juvenile to help him transport and dispose of the harmful materials, illegally dumping them at a place that is not a proper asbestos disposal site, according to the statement.

Michael Garrity, spokesman for the AG's office, said Doleszny was operating a business called Tri State Property Management that was not registered with the Secretary of State's Office.

Officials said that a portion of the asbestos-containing material was dumped at a residence in Lempster, and some additional material was abandoned on the side of a road in Acworth, Garrity said.

The case was investigated by state police and the environmental protection bureau of the AG's office.

Under state law, any contractor, employer, or individual "that engages in asbestos abatement activities or activities involving the disturbance of asbestos at asbestos disposal sites" must be licensed by the Department of Environmental Services.