Massachusetts Park Construction Halted by Presence of Asbestos

SALEM - It seems the residents of Salem will have to wait a little longer before construction on a new Point neighborhood park can resume. Work that had begun in March of 2009 came to a halt on May 15th when asbestos fibers were discovered in the soil at the Peabody Street site, and as a precautionary measure, the project was immediately shut down. Asbestos is classified by the EPA as a known cancer-causing material, and the city's Director of Planning and Community Development, Lynn Duncan, announced that specially trained, equipped, and licensed asbestos abatement workers will begin to decontaminate the site within the next few weeks.

Duncan wants to assure the residents of Salem that strict containment of the hazardous material will be job one, no one in town needs to worry about a threat to their health. "There is no risk for people in the area," said Duncan. "They've done air quality monitoring and the tests have all been negative. There is no safety hazard. " Director Duncan went on to state that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had already approved an asbestos abatement plan for the park site, but, on the down side, the cost of the asbestos cleanup will almost assuredly exceed the amount of the grant the city had been awarded to prepare the site for park construction.

Asbestos is a general term that refers to a broad spectrum of naturally occurring silicate minerals that exists in countries in all four corners of the globe. Asbestos can be excavated from the ground or mined from a variety of rock formations, and it can be found in numerous chemical compositions, forms, and colors, though, all types of asbestos share the following common characteristics: superior resistance to high temperatures (asbestos is practically fireproof); high tensile strength; resists damage from mold, moisture, and chemical corrosives, has excellent insulating properties and more.

Because of its many desirable properties, asbestos was once widely used around the world in countless products and industrial processes. In the early 1970s, however, widespread asbestos use in the United States and other countries came to a halt when it was confirmed that certain types of exposure to the mineral could be extremely hazardous to health. When crushed or disturbed, microscopic asbestos fibers can become airborne, and once inhaled into the lungs, these fibers can cause the onset of diseases such as the highly aggressive and inevitably fatal form of lung cancer known as malignant mesothelioma.

Clearly, the citizens of Salem have a right to be concerned about the presence of asbestos at the Peabody Street site where, eventually, people will come to relax or recreate in a public park. The DEP will be overseeing the asbestos cleanup, and DEP spokesperson Joe Ferson wants Salem citizens to know the job will be done right. "Measures will be taken to keep the material wet so it doesn't become airborne," said Ferson. "And crews have equipment that will constantly monitor the air." Ferson went on to explain that workers will remove up to three feet of soil before placing a plastic sheeting cap over the entire area, which will then be covered with paving or clean replacement soil.

Ferson said the asbestos contamination may be confined to a small area because workers had found the hazardous substance attached to some boiler parts that had been illegally buried at the site back in the 1970s. Ferson also stated that he expects the entire asbestos mitigation process will require approximately two weeks to complete.

Because of the unexpected delay, the city must now file for an extension to a state park construction grant that will expire in June. Director Duncan says the city must also find additional funding if the project is to be completed, and she added that Salem officials have applied to the EPA for help with the asbestos cleanup costs.

Source: WickedLocal.com

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