State inspectors have found more asbestos on a different section of a city-owned lot on Marco Island and another law enforcement agency has become involved in the 15-month-old problem.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection responded May 8 to an anonymous complaint that asbestos debris was scattered around what is known as "Site B" of the future Veterans Community Park property located at Elkcam Circle and Park Avenue. DEP inspectors found 30 pieces of asbestos pipe — some as large as 12 inches in diameter — located primarily on the surface and around the site’s perimeter, a DEP report stated.
This is the first reported finding of asbestos on Site B. Previously, asbestos had been found on Sites "A" and "C" of the seven-acre property. Up until this year, city contractor Quality Enterprises had used Site A as a staging area for the four-year Collier Boulevard road construction project scheduled for completion in December. Quality removed 8,000 to 10,000 cubic yards of asbestos-containing material under a federal Environmental Protection Agency-approved cleanup plan in May. The city has found asbestos pipe various times on Site C, which was not used as a staging area for the road project, in the past 15 months. In October, the Marco Island Police Department initiated a criminal investigation into how asbestos came to Site C.
Quality has used Site B only for its construction equipment and to store new materials during the road project, city and Quality officials said. Neither know how the asbestos came to Site B.
"I’m not sure about it," Quality Vice President Paul Moriarty said in a brief interview Thursday.
City Manager Bill Moss said he wasn’t concerned about the new discovery, but said it "curious."
"At least to me it doesn’t make sense that pipe fragments removed from Collier Boulevard would be found on Site B," he said.
After a year of highlighted by a federal lawsuit and assorted cleanup plans, the asbestos saga received a jolt in March when more than 50 Marco residents submitted a complaint to various law enforcement and prosecution agencies, alleging official misconduct against Moss, Police Chief Roger Reinke and a Marco City Council member for accusing citizens of planting asbestos. The complaint also asked for an investigation for how the asbestos arrived on the property.
The complaint prompted a flurry of official reviews on the subject with the latest coming from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
On May 18, Collier County Sheriff Don Hunter sent a letter to FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey asking Bailey’s agency to review the allegations of official misconduct against the city.
"Due to the nature of these allegations, I am forwarding the (complaint) to your office for review and handling," Hunter wrote.
Hunter also attached a formal response from Moss to the complaint.
An FDLE spokeswoman confirmed the department received the letter and that it is under review.
FDLE is at least the seventh agency, including the Marco police department, to review and/or investigate the situation. The DEP, EPA, FBI, Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have all been involved.
Hunter sent two other letters last month, one to Reinke and the other to Marco resident Butch Neylon, who spearheaded the complaint. In them Hunter indicated the Sheriff’s Office wasn’t investigating how the asbestos arrived on the property, and EPA would handle any criminal violations that might have occurred.
An EPA spokeswoman said the agency would not confirm or deny whether a criminal investigation is taking place.
Pamela McIlvaine, an environmental engineer for the EPA’s Southeast region based in Atlanta, visited the site last month. At the time, Quality was removing the asbestos containing material from Site A under EPA supervision.
But the Sheriff’s Office is still looking into the official misconduct charges, said Sgt. David White of the sheriff’s Economic Crimes Unit. White wrote a May 15 letter to Neylon asking for more details on his allegations.
"The allegations were ambiguous at best," White said. "We wanted to clear it up to see if they warranted an investigation."
White said he hadn’t received a response from Neylon, but a decision regarding whether to investigate would occur after a review of that information.
When asked whether the FDLE and Sheriff’s Office inquiries would overlap, White said he believed they wouldn’t.
"I would assume the FDLE would be specific to the police department and we would look at the allegations regarding the city manager and some unnamed councilors," he said.
In April, White wrote to the Moss stating the Sheriff’s Office and FBI were investigating the entire matter and requesting city documents relating to the issue. He also wrote to DEP South District Director Jon Iglehart requesting the department’s documents. The investigation changed when the Sheriff’s Office decided to split up the allegations and refer them to different agencies.
When asked if the FBI was still involved, White replied, "You have to ask them."
Multiple attempts by the Daily News to reach regional FBI officials were unsuccessful.
A conclusion to the Marco Police Department’s investigation into the matter is awaiting a final report from an environmental consultant regarding the cleanup of Site A, Reinke said Thursday. Reinke said he didn’t know about the asbestos found at Site B and that it wasn’t part of his department’s investigation.
City Public Works Director Rony Joel said following DEP’s visit to Site B last month, Quality’s asbestos contractor walked the site and found an additional dozen pieces of pipe. Those were removed as part of the cleanup effort at Site A, city spokeswoman Lisa Douglass said.
Winged Foot winner Brett Clark
Fort Myers Prostitution Arrests: May…
Collier County arrests 05-25-2012
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 28
karenglaub writes:
The asbestos fiasco on Marco is like a hot potato that gets passed around but no one wants to deal with it. Clearly the law was violated, but Quality gets rewarded with more work. Apparently Bill Moss and Rony Joel didn't know what their contractor was doing. Nobody cares about the workers exposed to it.
The only ones paying are the taxpayers. Will citizens ever get an apology from Councilman Tucker?
Will the FBI, EPA,FDLE, or Sheriff's office ever give the citizens an answer?
Chase100 writes:
Bill Moss must resign or be fired.
paul_vincent_zecchino writes:
Coverup. It's a Markograd tradition. An astute writer noted Wednesday, Markograd is great for coverups. Compulsive track covering and shady schemes are inextricably linked.
Didn't Zecchino Estate Grift lawyers perform due dilligence? Why did they ignore our cautions?
Truth, like asbestos, won't remain buried. Heat can't destroy it. Markograd's asbestos truth will emerge. Those who falsely accuse citizens of planting it, know it. That's why they stupidly level false allegations in the first place.
Zecchino Estate Grift lawyers now stupidly threaten to sue us for publishing truth. I'm allowed to do so. Forensic specialists say, 'Some who behaved questionably are miffed? Tough. Let them clean up their act and make amends, or take the consequences'.
Persons well versed in estates, years ago said I should be the easiest guy to get rid of. Either produce papers proving the Living Trust of 1957 was lawfully handed to others.
Or, produce papers which clearly prove all's well, our concerns unfounded.
They can do neither. In manner of 90s dullards, they dig in, and now threaten, like thugs caught.
That's their pattern. They're stuck with it. They lied in court, and gained a false, malicious restraining order against the undersigned, as criminals completed looting family wealth.
They did so nonchalantly. Law enforcement agencies say this shows 'cunning and practice', adding, 'there's no way they came so far, for so long, without breaking laws.
Surely, you understand their desire to sue me into silence. Evidence exonerates me, and shows they lied.
Why threaten to sue me now? In addition to the looming 19 July Court hearing, fifteen hundred miles to our north, some involved in this scheme now reap as they've sewn. Consequences loom. Too bad for them. Some in Rhode Island falsely assumed, 'Paul gave his permission...', regarding the diversion of the Living Trust of 1957. They quickly follow up by asking, 'What do you mean, he didn't?...He didn't know?...Oh my....'. See the thugs. Feel their pain.
Concerned parties now realize that perps kept us in the dark and ignored our oft expressed concerns, while Julia Zecchino joined the ranks of those dead before their time, murdered for something so banal as money. Why? For narcissistic glory, and as well, for benefit of avaricious, suet-stuffed, scheming pie-holes.
They reap as they sew. Pipsqueaks with law degrees will probably sue. They've proven they can obtain illegal judgements. They'll probably do so again. Forensic experts long ago warned they'd do so. Do the Termites think we'd not heed these warnings, and prepare?
Have they looked, yet not seen, to quote an old friend?
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
07 June, 2007
ejburger writes:
City councilors being re-elected and held accountable, seriously, who in their right mind would want to be a city councilor? And held accountable for what? I bet you each of them wishes they were not councilors with all the nonsense going on around this island. What a thankless job!
As far as the asbestos goes, it sure sounds fishy to me. More asbestos found from an anonymous tip. Sounds more like a desperate act than anything else.
15yearsmarco writes:
If there is new asbestos and it was planted I'll bet Tuckers got the pictures.
strike3 writes:
chase100 is right!!!!!!It's time for he / they to go. Everywhere I go I here people talking negative about all this crap going on here. People are sick of the construction zone, city dump, haz mat dump, being nearly run over by cranes, bulldozers, backhoes, having to drive over mounds of dirt etc.
Never before in all the time I have been here have I heard so many negative comments from the residents. Since inception of city hood Marco has changed for the worse. Too bad. Residents want to leave. Business owners going out of business and on top of it all a city manager / city council that could care less about the people they serve.
15yearsmarco writes:
Ed, I agree Mr. Moss will have a tough time finding a City Manager job in the future but Quality Enterprises will have one for him.
JohnAMarco writes:
Citizens of Marco Island:
This misinformed, biased and inaccurate article by Liam Dillon has been done on purpose to rekindle the asbestos controversy on our paradise island. Myself and other members of community groups and city officials have had enough of this young novice individual that calls himself a reporter. He has nothing better to do than to dig up the asbestos issue again to try to distroy our island.
I ask you for the good of the island to call John Fish and Phil Lewis at the Naples Daily News at 262-3161 and request that this reporter be removed from the Naples news staff. Thank you
15yearsmarco writes:
John,
The only one making that call will be you.
blondie writes:
Another example of "kill the messenger". The purpose of the above letter is to try to shift the blame of this continuing fiasco to the reporter and take the focus off the problem. Once and for all, all asbestos sitings must be investigated, reported, and dealt with in a serious manner. This is not a political issuse. This is a HEALTH and SAFETY issue. The City Manager should put the welfare of the residents above any personal or organizational agendas. If the asbestos claim is proven to be true, the city government must deal with is as soon as possible,and not sweep it under the rug. JohnAMarco may have had enough of this, but we the citizens have had enough of continuing cover-up.
paul_vincent_zecchino writes:
Dear BlueTonguedVole and friends,
Zecchino Estate Grift perps faced justice, Dad was coming home - until Marco Island Police intervened. "Perjury Pat" Stoye, George Allen Wilson, II, and Mark V. Silverio lied to keep me from Vincent Zecchino, M.D., as estate grifters got away.
MI PD, assisted by Wilson, violated our rights. What might they do for your family?
'lolala' notes, The City of Marco Island punishes the innocent and protects the guilty. Isn't that why why we write, and ignore threats from guilty cowards?
Do Wilson and his codpiece, Silverio, whose clients keep shifting, realize forensic professionals long ago discerned criminality in our case? One Naples expert, echoing others, said, "You've a criminal problem...Your Dad thinks he's the mastermind. In fact, he's the victim."
Wilson is with Cheffy, Passidomo. Cheffy recently visited, some say 'violated', the home of Ron Palmer, to hand deliver a questionable letter, according to reports. Mr. Palmer exercised his right to object. Cheffy "We Make Housecalls!" Passidomo didn't like that. Some ask if hand-delivery was done to skirt postal laws.
Will this make Naples/Marco famous for a Top-40 Snappy Toonce, "Cheffy and The Hand Jive"?
Wilson threatens to sue me? Is that because he long ago ignored our concerns? He knew of them, but went right ahead and diverted the Living Trust of 1957?
Will another cooked verdict against us benefit his firm? Citizens see the truth. A biased jury pronounced a mass killer innocent, but citizens shun 'juice man'. They've no use for those who cover their perfidy with the corpses of the innocent.
Naples/Marco is affluent. This concerns us all. They could do this to you. Agencies believe they have, and will continue, until brought to justice.
Shifting stories, compulsive track covering, attempts to stifle whistle-blowers indicate chicanery. That's why, like Onanistic jackanapes in a, dank, rusty zoo cage, they threaten to sue us.
The Zecchino Estate Grift was masterminded from Rhode Island, so say national sources. Some there now face consequences. As did Wilson, they ignored objections. Authorities realized we'd been reduced, and acted.
Is that why Dr. Joe Amaral, who hoodwinked my then 92 year old Dad out of our wealth, is out as www.lifespan.org CEO? He's now Mr. Joe Amaral, 52, all dressed up, no place to go.
The Sea of Consequences is fast a' risin'.
Is that why Naples pipsqueaks with law degrees, and their Markograd clients, wax nervous, fat, 'n sweaty?
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasueme Key, Florida
08 June, 2007
barfieldfly writes:
The Red Cross has revised its international sign for choking. The old sign of cuffing the hands to the throat has now been replaced by displaying a picture of the Marco Island City council.
Effective immediatly.
barfieldfly writes:
JohnAMarco
Perhaps we could get Monte Lazarus or John Aceri to be the unbiased reporter your looking for.
I'm whicha.
paul_vincent_zecchino writes:
Dear barfieldfly, EdFoster, and fellow friends -
No one can accuse JohnAMarco of subtlety.
Can MarkoStooges be more obvious? They've a gift for blatancy. Like Wilson, they make our point.
Was it Shakespeare, doubtless paraphrasing the Bible, who said something about protesting too much?
Those doing bad things on Marcostan can't defend themselves. So they put shill-parrots up to it.
Blame-shifting and denial suggests there's trouble on Markograd, as it does with The Zecchino Estate Grift. Wilson should have contacted us. He didn't. We notified both him and www.lifespan.org, of our concerns.
They ignored us - but not our concerns. How sad.
Marco Island officials played an integral role in the Zecchino Estate Grift, just as they obviously do in Le Folles d'Asbestos.
If my Dad resided somewhere other than Marco, this mess may not have occurred. As with one corruption, so with another. Can you imagine Markograd's asbestos mess somewhere else?
Shill-parrots and stooges sincerely believe they're currying favor. They never realize, they're first to be served up, as the guilty get away.
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasueme Key, Florida
08 June, 2008
rcbauburn writes:
JohnAMarco - You obviously have not followed Liam Dillon's reporting over the last couple of years. He is completely unbiased and offers complete coverage of some very difficult issues. If you really want to know what is happening with our city issues, follow what Liam has to say.
Keep up the good work Liam.
Bob Brown
jockey writes:
NO! NO! NO! You have got to be kidding!
O.K. this has gone on long enough, bring in the Governor, suspend our City Council, fire the City Manager, terminate all contracts with the contractor responsible, start an investigation into who knew what and when, depose all those with any knowledge of the Asbestos contamination, promise prosecution for perjury, examine CARES records, and get this crap off of our Island Paradise before anyone else hears about it.
Oh! wait, everyone has heard about it. Our property values are sinking, our citizens are leaving as fast as they can, our leaders have lost our confidence, City Council meetings are a joke, our opinions fall on deaf ears, and we are having a referendum that basically tells us we are going to get screwed...... we can't opt out! By the way, for what it's worth, I'm voting NO, NO. If they don't get the message from that, they never will.
strike3 writes:
This is fun. NO and NO from me to!
conchsoup writes:
Wait a minute---the responses here are completely predictable and completely out of line with the news report and obviously part of the continued dramatics of the anti-STRP gang. Pipe pieces were found on the surface and near the perimeter of the site...sounds to me like someone is still out to frame the city management and didn't want to leave any footprints in the sand. BTW--the asbestos in the pipe is not harmful as you posters above well know. We are on to you and your histrionics. And you should be ashamed of yourselves for coddling up to such dishonesty. Your lack of integrity does more harm to Marco Islanders than any of the ‘asbestos’ pipe.
strike3 writes:
Why were the people cleaning it up wearing haz-mat suits? Were they cold? Didn't want to get a sun burn? Why?
15yearsmarco writes:
I think we should take the cameras from the bridge and point them on site A B and C.
lauralbi1 writes:
Ed: Weere these the scraps left over from your garage ?? The funny thing about all the postings above is that the pieces of asbestos pipe are harmless as they sit there. Maybe Butch can go over and break them apart. I guess I need to go over and store them in my garage.
happy34145 writes:
Hey ed,
Again, what are those rust colored staines on the sidewalks from???
strike3 writes:
happy34145,
they're from your underware!!!!!
happy34145 writes:
strike 3,
chill.
I was talk'n 'bout Issler when he said the stains on the sidewalks were from septic tanks.
strike3 writes:
Got a little carried away. Sorry. From Isslers underware!!!!!!!!!!!!!
strike3 writes:
Just a joke, EI.
jwputnam writes:
"underwear" for chrissake!
stopthedestructionofmarco writes:
My God!
Where has our paradise gone?
Lauderdale is coming!
Cuban cigars in that speciasl alley only $6.00.
be careful amigos of Marco progress is right behind Tucker & Moss.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.