Asbestos case takes new turn

SYRACUSE - Last-minute testimony from a former Cayuga County official suggested John Chick may not stand alone when the dust settles in an asbestos removal scandal.

Former county Buildings and Grounds Superintendent Ernie DeCaro was pulled from the U.S. District Court witness stand Tuesday after admitting he did nothing to stop illegal asbestos removal at the Board of Elections building in 2006.

“I didn't want to be the one that turned him in,” DeCaro said, referring to Chick, who pleaded guilty to violating the federal Clean Air Act in January.