The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office has filed a complaint against a Weymouth company for failing to pay a hefty fine for violating environmental laws.

Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office filed the complaint in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, March 20th against C&O Enterprises. The fine was originally assessed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in the amount of $108,000. Due to failure to pay, the complaint filed by the Attorney General’s office seeks up to three times that amount.

In the complaint, it is alleged that C&O Enterprises, Inc., also known as North American Environmental Services, Inc., failed to pay the penalty assessed to them after asbestos and other hazardous materials were improperly disposed of at two separate properties in Massachusetts. The waste has since been removed and dealt with according to environmental law.

“The law requires that individuals and companies properly dispose of hazardous materials. Our office is committed to enforcing the law to protect the public health and safety of our environment and communities,” Coakley said. “When individuals fail to comply with environmental laws in the commonwealth, MassDEP may assess an appropriate fine. Our office will hold accountable individuals and companies who fail to comply with environmental regulations and who in bad faith fail to pay administrative fines lawfully assessed by MassDEP.”

When asbestos is disturbed, it can release asbestos fibers. If the fibers are inhaled, they can cause serious health problems, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. Mesothelioma has a long latency period, meaning that it can be decades before the disease is diagnosed. The average patient diagnosed with mesothelioma only lives six to nine months after being diagnosed, although some battle their disease for up to two years.

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