As the investigation into the improper handling of asbestos in Cayuga County plods along, we wonder if the case has been looked into as thoroughly as it could have been.

Asbestos-laden material was removed from a county office building in February 2006, and the only person charged with any wrongdoing - John Chick - pleaded guilty to his part nearly six months ago. Chick was allowed to plead guilty to a single crime, conspiracy to violate the federal Clean Air Act, with the understanding that his cooperation with investigators would weigh heavily on his eventual sentence.

Chick has maintained all along that he removed asbestos under orders from superiors, and his attorney, Paul Carey, said in January that the investigation would reveal that “persons higher up in government” knew that an old boiler and pipers Chick had removed from the county Board of Elections building contained asbestos.

But federal prosecutors are now hinting that their investigation has come to a standstill because Chick has turned out to an unreliable witness, having reportedly given inconsistent statements during interrogations. A June 25 memorandum written by U.S. Assistant Attorney Craig Benedict says: “Any chance the United States had to show a connection to higher ranking Cayuga County officials was dashed because of Chick's repeated false statements to law enforcement authorities ...”

This investigation started a long time ago, and we have to believe dozens of people have been interviewed and countless documents scrutinized.

How is it possible, then, that the U.S. Department of Justice has only Chick to rely upon? If Chick was to be the star witness - or perhaps the only witness - in the government's investigation into Cayuga County's asbestos scandal, the government has surely mishandled the case.