6 More Sites Contaminated In Fairfield, Test Results Show

FAIRFIELD, CT — Contaminants have been found at another six sites in Fairfield, the health department announced Friday evening, bringing the total number of confirmed contaminated locations to 10.

The sites are among 20 high-priority testing locations that were named earlier in August in connection with an investigation of illegal dumping at the town public works yard and the company hired to run the facility. Results were previously announced for nine of the priority sites, four of which were found to be contaminated.

The latest round of testing revealed asbestos at the Burroughs Park soccer fields, arsenic on the Sullivan Football Field, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the Town Hall soccer fields and in the grass near the Jennings Beach playground, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and PCBs behind the Old Dam Road recreation building and tennis court, and extractable total petroleum hydrocarbons on the South Pine Creek soccer fields.

Fairfield will work with a consultant and state officials on remediation plans for the sites. Although the consultant said the contaminant levels are low enough that the sites could remain open, the town will restrict access to the areas while the plans are formulated, according to a town news release.

Dougiello Field and the Holland Hill Elementary School, Oldfield and Tunxis Hill soccer fields did not have any contamination and can be reopened. Lake Mohegan is the only priority site for which test results have not been released.

All the priority locations received material from the public works yard between 2013 and 2016, when Julian Development was operating the facility. Since the priority list was released, school officials have decided to close and test all fields and playscapes in the district. The school system's testing of sites not on the town priority list began Monday, and results are expected to start coming in next week. The district announced Saturday that the Holland Hill playscape would reopen, as it received topsoil from a pile that was already tested and cleared.

Fairfield hired Julian Development in 2013 to run its public works yard and reduce the size of a pile of leftover project material on the property from 40,000 cubic yards. Over the course of Julian's three-year contract, the pile more than doubled in size, and days before the contract was set to end, contamination was discovered on the property. After conservation officials said the transportation and dumping of contaminated material could have violated state or federal law, police opened an investigation.

Director of Public Works Joe Michelangelo, former superintendent of public works Scott Bartlett and Julian Companies Owner Jason Julian were arrested earlier this month and are accused of crimes including larceny, forgery and dumping. The majority of the crimes are alleged to have occurred during the years Julian Development was under contract to operate the yard on Richard White Way. Bartlett was recently fired from his town job and Michelangelo was placed on leave.

In addition to the criminal case, Fairfield has sued Julian for millions in damages and Julian has sued the town for defamation.

For more information about the town test results, visit www.fairfieldct.org/filluseissues. For updates on school district testing, go to fpsct.net/fields.