After a recent asbestos debacle at SUNY New Paltz, two federal indictments have been passed down. According to federal officials, Salvatore DePaola, a resident of Staten Island, has been charged with asbestos abatement violations related to work he did for Milestone Environmental on the New Paltz campus. DePaola has a questionable past, as he was charged nine months ago with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. These charges stem from an incident where two firefighters were killed during a fire at the Deutsche Bank building at Ground Zero.

The SUNY New Paltz violations stem from work done over the summer to remove asbestos from the Bouton, College, and Shango dormitory buildings. DePaola and a second man, Espitia Oliveros have been charged. Both men did work on the dorms while employed by Milestone Environmental. College officials were quick to note that no students were exposed to asbestos during the incidents. "We moved quickly, and there was never any risk to students or staff," SUNY New Paltz spokesman Eric Gullickson said last week.

Asbestos violations are taken very serious by federal officials, as those who are exposed to asbestos may develop mesothelioma. This condition is a rare but aggressive form of cancer that has no known cure. The disease has a long latency period, meaning that it can be several decades after asbestos exposure occurs before the symptoms of mesothelioma are apparent.

DePaola has entered a plea of not guilty in the Deutsche Bank case, and is free on $50,000 bail in the SUNY asbestos case.

A children’s play park in South Shields, England has been shut down after asbestos was discovered during a routine investigation of the site. The site, known as Temple Park, was closed after asbestos was found in soil samples taken from the area. Temple Park was built on the site of a former landfill, but the top levels of soil were brought fresh to the site after the landfill was closed.

Dr Tricia Cresswell, of the Health Protection Agency, said: "The main health risks associated with asbestos are from inhaling the fibers in confined spaces. As the asbestos identified on the site is outdoors and is covered by soil and grass, it appears unlikely that anyone will have been exposed to sufficiently high levels or duration to cause significant health effects. The play area is now closed to the public so there is no ongoing risk to the public, and as soon as we receive more details about the levels of asbestos found, we will be able to carry out a more accurate risk assessment about any possible exposure.”

Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. This disease affects thousands of patients each year worldwide. The disease has a long latency period of up to five decades. However, once symptoms develop, patients rarely survive for more than 2 years.

Fiona Brown, executive director of neighborhood services at South Tyneside Council, said: "The council is working with the Health Protection Agency and the primary care trust to identify any potential risks associated with this site."