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Three companies that performed abatement services for Detroit's demolition program have been banned from working in the city for 20 years.

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(Photo: Violet Ikonomova)

The Office of Inspector General says in a report Thursday that these firms "were engaged in improper and possible criminal activity which included violations of the Asbestos Abatement Contractors Licensing Act:"

  • BBEK Environmental LLC and owner Kevin Woods

  • HC Consultants and owner James Harvey

  • Green Way Environmental and owner William Scully

The companies conducted asbestos abatement services before homes were demolished. The IG noted that such work can impact the health, safety, and welfare of Detroit residents, and thanked the Detroit Land Bank AUthority for referring the cases for investigation. 

“Conducting business with the City of Detroit can be lucrative for the contractors, but the contractors must understand that the agreed upon engagement is for the benefit of the public," Inspector General Ellen Ha says in a statement. "They must understand that we trusted them to abide by the law and to the terms of the contract."

Besides the banning of the companies, Woods of BBEK is barred for 20 years while Harvey of HC Consultants and Green Way's Scully are banned for five years. 

The report comes after  the inspector general in 2019 issued interim suspensions to the companies and their officers.  

Some activity was clearly criminal.

On June 2, Woods of BBEK pled guilty to one count of false pretenses for a violation of the Act and was sentenced to two years of probation, restitution for underreported Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs fees and 100 hours of community service. He was also involved in other alleged criminal activity involving the business.

"Specifically, it was alleged that BBEK, HC Consultants, and Green Way violated the Asbestos Contractors Licensing Act which requires an abatement company to hire a neutral party to conduct a post abatement air monitoring check," the IG report says. "The allegations involved potential false statements and other criminal activity."