LONGMEADOW – Select Board Chair Mark Gold opened up the Board’s August 6 meeting by offering a detailed statement regarding the discovery of asbestos containing materials at the site of what will host the new Department of Public Works (DPW) facility, 170 Dwight Rd.

The Town had their groundbreaking ceremony for the project on June 1. At the July 16 Select Board meeting, the Board reviewed and approved a change order for the project in the amount of $280,500 which was put toward the collection and disposal of asbestos containing materials that was found around the property and especially in the wooded areas next to the parking lot.

“We have no way of knowing how the material became scattered around the building, but it was our obligation to gather and dispose of the material in an environmentally responsive, legally required manner,” Gold stated.

From there, the clean up was completed on time and on budget and the funding was taken from the contingency fund within the project budget.

After the removal and disposal was completed, work on the project continued. As the contractor began the removal of the current parking lot pavement for the installation of underground utilities, the contractor discovered a “large amount” of asbestos containing material under the blacktop.

“The volume of material has been estimated to be between 3,500 and 7,000 cubic yards depending on the depth to which is found,” Gold said. “The actual amount will be determined when the segregation is complete.”

He explained that the materials spread underneath the blacktop is believed to be the same material that was scattered around the facility. Now that the material has been discovered, it was prudent that action be taken to remove of it.

“When the material was identified, the contractors working on the site were required to cease all work. Equipment that was exposed to the material was frozen in place until it could be decontaminated and the work site was closed down,” he said.   

On August 1, the Select Board had a special meeting to authorize contractors to gather the asbestos and prepare it for disposal. The authorization came in the form of a second change order that directed the contractor to collect all asbestos materials with the approval of the Mass Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). From there, the materials were isolated on site until a disposal site and method would be agreed upon.

“The cost of this change order is based on time and materials but has a not to exceed authorization of $168,709,” Gold said. “It’s important to note that this cost which will come from the project contingency does not include the cost of disposal.”

The building committee as well as the owner project manager reviewed and recommended the change order. The work of containing and removal is currently underway.

Gold continued to share that there are several disposal options for the asbestos, and the cost for each of these options ranges from several hundred thousand dollars to as much as $2 million “in the worst case scenario.”

He then explained that he wanted to offer these comments to assure the town of several topics. No one is in any health danger. The asbestos was not and is not air borne. The primary reason behind the decisions that have been made were to keep the site safe for contractors, residents and employees of the town. The situation is being managed by knowledgeable professionals and the Mass Department of Environmental Protection is aware and has been involved. The removal will follow all state and federal requirements. The presence of the asbestos was not and could not have been known to the town prior to pavement removal. If improper disposal is determined to be the source of the asbestos material, the town will be reviewing options for recovery of the excess costs associated with the proper removal. From a cost perspective, even if the worst-case scenario plays out for the asbestos disposal the cost of the project is not expected to go over budget.

“I’ll repeat that, is not expected to exceed the $22 million authorized by the town,” Gold reassured listeners. “Cost control is an important consideration and falls only behind in our pledge to ensure health and safety and environmental standards are met for everybody involved.”

To watch the rest of the meeting and listen to Gold’s comments for yourself, find LCTV’s livestream at https://livestream.com/longmeadow/events/8320980.