When Michael Flores paid $20,000 to remove asbestos from his attic, he didn’t expect to find the toxic material still there — or to learn that the crew had never obtained a license in the first place.

Flores had bought the 100-year-old Ottawa, Illinois, home with plans to turn it into a vacation rental near Starved Rock State Park. Knowing the attic was filled with vermiculite insulation — a material often containing asbestos — he hired a local crew to remove it safely.

Don’t miss

But after the crew from Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC declared the job done, Flores went to check for himself — and was stunned. The dangerous insulation was still sitting in the attic.

He sent photos of the leftover material to the company, expecting them to fix the issue. Instead, the owner insisted the work was complete. “I was like, ‘No, that’s impossible.’” Flores told CBS Chicago.

Flores called in another contractor for a second cleaning. That expert confirmed the attic was still hazardous and “too dangerous for anyone to be here working.” Flores paid an additional $8,000 to finish what should have been done the first time.

Whether you’re a homeowner or a contractor, it’s the kind of nightmare scenario that makes you ill — pay out the money to eliminate a serious health threat, only to discover the danger is still present. And Flores couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

What the first crew missed

When Flores later reviewed security footage from his garage, he was disturbed to see workers without proper protective gear — a clear breach of safety protocol.

The vacuum being used didn’t appear to contain the asbestos at all — it seemed to be blowing dust, likely full of fibers, back into the air.

Suspecting something was wrong, Flores contacted the vacuum’s manufacturer, who confirmed it wasn’t designed for asbestos removal — only standard insulation.

Flores ultimately escalated the issue to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), submitting camera footage, videos of his attic, and the email from the vacuum manufacturer.

More than 200,000 people die each year worldwide from asbestos-related diseases, according to the World Health Organization. Toxic asbestos fibers, when inhaled, can cause devastating illnesses like mesothelioma, lung disease, and even death. The United States account for between 12,000 and 15,000 deaths each year.

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The state’s response

Internal emails from the IDPH, obtained by CBS Chicago, revealed that employees knew Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC “stretched the truth.” But Flores was out of luck.

Under Illinois law, asbestos abatement licenses are only required for public buildings, commercial properties and multi-unit residences. That means companies like Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC can legally take on single-family home jobs — no license required.

CBS Chicago contacted agencies across the country and found inconsistent rules. About 25 states responded, many with murky policies that don’t regulate asbestos removal in private homes.

Only seven states — Maine, Maryland, New York, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia — require a license for any asbestos removal, including single-family in private homes.

Dr. Arthur Frank, an environmental and occupational health professor at Drexel University, called it a dangerous loophole.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a household or a commercial entity, or anyplace else,” Frank told CBS Chicago. “If there’s asbestos, you need to remove it properly and safely, and somebody ought to be regulating it. As little as one day of exposure has given some people and some animals mesotheliomas.”

Ridding your home of asbestos

Asbestos removal is serious work — and hiring a properly certified professional is critical.

If your state requires a license, confirm the company holds one and ask for individual asbestos removal certifications. Make sure they’re certified by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Before the job starts, ask the contractor to walk you through the full abatement process. A reputable contractor should include an initial inspection, sealing off the area with HEPA filtration, minimizing airborne particles with a wetting agent, a final clearance test and proper disposal of all materials.

As always, check reviews online with the Better Business Bureau and on contracting sites. For as large — and expensive — as asbestos removal, don’t hesitate to ask for recent references.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

With all the rain that fell in the Chicago area on Wednesday, standing water can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

With that in mind, Illinois state health leaders have sounded the alarm about a spike in cases of the West Nile virus.

Southwest suburban Evergreen Park is one of many villages and cities that spray for mosquitoes in the summer. It is one way communities get a handle on West Nile.

Former Evergreen Park Mayor Jim Sexton caught the virus, and had a warning Wednesday — especially with the virus already having been reported in 17 counties.

“I would never wish this on anyone,” Sexton said.

Sexton fell ill with the West Nile virus 13 years ago, and ended up losing feeling in his right arm.

“I had a glass in my hand, and it just went,” said Sexton.

He said the virus was attacking his system.

“The whole system,” he said. “it was in there and attacking it.”

In the summer of 2012, the then-mayor of Evergreen Park found himself in the ER at Advocate Christ Medical Center in neighboring Oak Lawn.

“This 60-year-old man in great shape, still very active,” Sexton said, “and a little mosquito gets you.”

That one mosquito was carrying the West Nile Virus.

“I was just out of it,” Sexton said. “I mean, almost like you would be having a stroke, or you couldn’t communicate.”

It took doctors two weeks to figure out what left Sexton bedridden.

“I did 45 days in Christ Hospital — two weeks in intensive care,” he said. “There was a lot of encephalitis.”

The inflammation on Sexton’s brain left him speechless. His wife, Karen, never left his side.

“Get me up and got me going,” Sexton said.

Sexton underwent months of physical therapy. That is why when he hears of West Nile already present in 17 Illinois counites this year — including Cook, DuPage, and Will — he wants everyone to take heed to the warning from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

“So you can take precautions — fix the screen, wear repellent, wear long-sleeved clothing,” he said.

Evergreen Park is, again, of many communities that take the steps to spray for mosquitoes. Sexton, before retiring as mayor, worked hard to make sure the village was proactive in protecting residents.

Meanwhile, 13 years after he was infected, he is still sometimes hesitant to be outside. And with so many people venturing out this summer, the former mayor of Evergreen Park is living proof of how anyone can catch the virus.

“We think we’re still making progress, but I’d hate to find out otherwise,” said Sexton.

West Nile virus is spread to people from infected mosquitoes, most commonly in the summer. Eight out of 10 people infected do not develop symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

When it comes to the West Nile virus, the Illinois Department of Public Health stresses the three R’s — reduce your exposure, repel using insect repellent, and report any standing water seen longer than a week, which can breed the virus.    

The public is advised to wearing loose-fitting clothing, and, if possible, avoid peak mosquito feeding times, typically around dusk and dawn. 

Severe illness from the West Nile virus can occur in about one in 150 people and is most likely to occur in people over age 55 or with weakened immune systems.