State DPW monitors asbestos at fire site near school

SWAMPSCOTT – State Department of Public Works employees are expected to begin monitoring the fire site at 128-140 Humphrey this week to make sure none of the small traces of asbestos found there become airborne and make their way to the adjacent Hadley Elementary School, according to school and fire officials.Fire Chief Kevin Breen said Monday that a preliminary plan calls for DEP employees to supervise the twice-daily air-quality testing at the property-line between the fire building debris and the school to determine if “any asbestos is attempting to leave the site.”Both Breen and Superintendent Lynne Celli stressed that the testing was being done primarily as a precaution because of the small amount of asbestos found in the building debris.?People are going to see asbestos warning signs, they?re going to see people in Tyvec (protective) suits,” Breen said.Celli said the removal of the building debris will likely not begin until Wednesday or Thursday and the contracting company doing the work will be working under DEP supervision.?Trained personnel will be on site,” Celli said. “The community should not be worried if they see people in suits. They did removal in our school building right across from me and we were able to keep on working.”In addition to DEP personnel, Celli said town officials will also be monitoring the site and students at the Hadley School will be kept away from the side of the school when the workers are removing the debris.?The site will also be sprayed with water during the removal of the rubble,” Celli said. “And we will keep the windows closed on the far side of the building.”Joe Ferson, spokesman for the DEP, said Monday that the agency is still waiting for the plan from the company in charge of removing the debris, but said it is typical to conduct twice-daily air quality tests at the property-line.Ferson said it?s only when asbestos becomes airborne that it is dangerous to people who are not directly handling it.?That?s typically done at the perimeter of the site,” Ferson said of the planned testing. “The precautions will be necessary to make sure that any asbestos in the debris material doesn?t become airborne.”One of the best ways to do that is to wet down the debris, he said.Breen also explained that if any parents are concerned because the preliminary plans call for testing at the property-line and not inside the school, that?s because safety officials want to know if the asbestos becomes airborne before it gets to the school.?The whole goal of the testing process is to intercept it before the school,” Breen said.Breen toured the school with DEP representatives on Friday.?There was no residual soot or material in the school that we can see,” Breen said. “We were particularly focused on the classrooms closest to the fire scene. Any residual odor in the building was very minimal.”Safety officials shut off power to the whole neighborhood when they were fighting the fire last week, so very little smoke and soot got into the building because the HVAC units not operating, he said.?The only smoke that actually got through was through the windows and that was ventilated,” Breen said.School Committee member Glenn Paster said he has heard from a couple of parents who expressed some concern about the air quality at the school, but he believes school, state and safety officials are doing everything they can to make sure the building is safe.?They?re watching the situation very carefully,” Paster said. “There?s nothing more precious than a K-4 school.”Hadley School just celebrated its 100th birthday, he said.