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Asbestos Containment Scheduled to begin at Court Street in Nashua, NH

Release Date: 09/24/2007
Contact Information: Jeanethe Falvey, 617.918.1020

(Boston, Mass. – September 24, 2007) – Federal, state and local cleanup experts are jointly moving forward to address soil contaminated with asbestos adjacent to the Nashua Public Library. The work is being coordinated between the U.S.EPA, the city of Nashua and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Asbestos was found in elevated levels in the half acre lawn area between the parking lot and the Nashua River, and adjacent to the library. EPA site investigators determined that if the asbestos in the soil should ever become airborne by activities such as natural erosion, or mowing, it could potentially threaten public health.

Work to cap the area of contamination is scheduled to begin this week and will take approximately three weeks to complete. While this is EPA’s first cleanup at this site, EPA has been involved in multiple asbestos sites during the 1980's and 1990's throughout the city of Nashua and regards this as a routine cleanup that should not cause alarm.

All parties involved are working to minimize any disruption to local town activities while taking all possible measures to ensure the safety of library employees and visitors. During any intrusive soil work, exposed earth will be sprayed with surfactants to control dust. In addition, air monitors will be placed around the perimeter of the site to notify workers of any elevated levels of dust present in the air. In such an event, operations would cease until any and all dust problems had been contained. The public is encouraged to respect work crews, signs and fencing to protect their health and to help keep the cleanup on schedule.

For more information on EPA’s Emergency Response Program: www.epa.gov/ne/superfund/er/index