WILKES-BARRE -- City officials have halted some work at a construction site of a new market on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre.
This comes after the city's code enforcement officer discovered one of the subcontractors had no license and no permit to work in the city.
City officials said they are investigating how that subcontractor was able to work for weeks without a permit or even a license to do work in the city. The city had no idea work was going on until Tuesday night.
"I don't feel safe at all. Being that all the problems they've been having since they've been working over there. It's been causing us nothing but nightmares," said Bob Davis, who works at Blue Wireless, a wireless store a few feet away from the construction work.
Tuesday night was quite a scare for Davis. Fire crews were called out because high levels of carbon monoxide were being emitted from the new market. The toxic gas seeped into surrounding businesses, including our Wyoming Valley Newsroom and Davis' store.
"I fell asleep for about a half hour to 45 minutes here in the store. I didn't think nothing of it at all. I just thought it was normal. I thought it would go away."
While no one was taken to the hospital, the scare itself was enough to raise some flags with Wilkes-Barre city officials.
"It's always concerning when people's lives are put in danger, so it's something that will be taken care of through our code department," Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton said.
The city's code department found out Wednesday morning that the subcontractor had been working here for weeks and shut them down when they tried to return to work after the carbon monoxide scare.
"My guys opened the door and we tried to figure out what to do and the city's come, right away, said Arturo Vasquez, the subcontractor working on the market.
The city also stopped the subcontractor from working because he came back to work with the same gas-powered equipment that caused the carbon monoxide scare. Fire officials told him Tuesday night to bring electric equipment instead.
The subcontractor told Newswatch 16 he does not have electric equipment.
The carbon monoxide scare isn't the first incident at this site with this subcontractor. A few weeks ago, the crew cut some wires and caused the power to go out temporarily for nearby businesses.
"The power went out. That's one. Now the carbon monoxide and everything. The noise alone is just terrible. It's just ridiculous you can't work here at all," Davis said.
City officials say they are taking concerns seriously and investigating the work being done. They said the subcontractor has been fined $1000. He can pay that fine, apply for a permit and a license, and potentially be back to work soon.