DEP Gives Newton Permission to Use Asbestos Tainted Fill

NEWTON, Massachusetts – As the costs to build the new Newton North High climb out of control, the city of Newton has found a new way to save money – by using asbestos tainted dirt as fill in the construction of the school.

The plan, which has the approval of the Department of Environmental Protection, is to recycle soil that was found on site. The dirt only contains trace amounts of asbestos, said a city spokesman, Jeremy Solomon. It will bring substantial savings, he said.

The construction project has attracted many complaints from town officials and citizens alike as the projected cost of building spiraled during the plans. Part of the additional unexpected cost was the removal of asbestos from the old building, and removal of asbestos tainted dirt that was found when the foundation was being dug.

According to Solomon, the city pays $123 a ton to have the dirt removed, compared to $82 per ton for non-hazardous soil. Using the fill in “very specific ways approved by the DEP” will save the city a considerable amount on the costs of the new school – which is already estimated at $187 million.

Crews began pouring concrete for the school’s foundation on February 14 after more than a year in the planning stages.

School department officials met with officials from the DEP two weeks ago to discuss their plans for reusing soil that was found on the site as fill, rather than paying to have it removed, then paying for fill in addition.

The construction project has been plagued by cost overruns and rising costs since the beginning. Last year, the discovery of asbestos on the grounds and in the old school, which will be demolished, added tens of thousands of dollars to the projected school costs.

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral in many places, was widely used in construction until about 1980. While the materials in which it was included are safe in the environment as long as they are in good condition, when they begin to deteriorate, they emit tiny fibers of asbestos which can be inhaled or ingested. Long term exposure to relatively low levels of asbestos fibers in the air has been definitively linked to the development of cancer, including a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer are among the most common effects of exposure to airborne asbestos. About 3,000 people per year are diagnosed with mesothelioma, many of them schoolteachers.

The soil that is planned for use as fill may have been tainted by asbestos from the environment, or from fill that was used elsewhere. The DEP has approved it for use in ways that it deems safe, mostly in areas that will be covered to prevent asbestos fibers from escaping into the air.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 6th, 2008 at 3:25 pm and is filed under Asbestos Abatement, Massachusetts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.