In 2013 and 2014, there was work related to a new sidewalk and curb that were installed and as is typical, fill and topsoil were used to level out areas and taper off edges. The initial fill used was from the aggregate pile at the Public Works Yard, and due to recent concerns regarding the pile, the Town contacted the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for guidance. DEEP came to the site today, August 7, 2019, to collect soil samples of the area and will test for a variety of different potential contaminants. The Town has requested that the results be expedited and should be available next week. At this point, testing is being conducted and no results indicating the presence of hazardous contaminants have been confirmed.
At this time, we do not believe the use of the park, playground, or ball fields will be significantly impacted. In regards to asbestos there are two main categories of asbestos. “Friable" asbestos can be easily reduced to powder by hand pressure (materials such as insulation and ceiling tiles) and "non-friable" asbestos cannot be (materials such as siding and roofing). In general, the more friable the material, the greater the potential for asbestos exposure. The pieces of siding shingles observed along the sidewalk are non-friable. Currently the Town is working to identify any other Town sites where this fill may have been used.