Asbestos Found At Gould Manor Park, Test Results Reveal

FAIRFIELD, CT — Material at Gould Manor Park that was tested by state officials for contamination is "not considered hazardous waste," but does contain some contaminants, the Town of Fairfield announced Wednesday afternoon.

The material from a 3-foot stretch of sidewalk at the park was examined by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in connection with an investigation of the town public works yard and Julian Development, the contractor hired to run the yard. Fairfield police and the state's attorney requested the tests due to concerns contaminated fill from the public works yard was used for a 2013-14 sidewalk improvement project at the park.

The results showed asbestos as well as traces of lead and barium were present, First Selectman Mike Tetreau, a Democrat, confirmed.

"While I'm relieved the initial results seem to indicate it was not hazardous, I am very concerned," Selectman Christopher Tymniak, a Republican, said.

An environmental specialist hired by the town is doing additional site and lab analysis to determine if protective steps need to be taken, whether there are exposure risks and what remediation measures entail, according to a statement from Tetreau.

"I want the contaminated material removed," said Selectman Edward Bateson, a Republican. "It should never have been put there in the first place, these are public parks where children play."

Fairfield will test all other parks, ballfields and school sites where fill from the yard was used between 2013 and 2016, according to the statement. Residents can find full test results and information about locations to be tested at fairfieldct.org/filluseissues.

"We're working as fast as we can to identify the other sites, get them tested and make sure we confirm that all of our fields and parks are as safe as they should be," Tetreau said.

The town 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 the 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, Superintendent of Public Works Scott Bartlett and Julian Companies Owner Jason Julian were arrested last week 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. Both Michelangelo and Bartlett have been placed on leave from their town jobs.

In addition to the criminal case, Fairfield has sued Julian for about $3 million in costs associated with the yard and Julian has sued the town for defamation.

Both Tymniak and Bateson expressed frustration about not receiving more detailed information about the contamination or being included in conversations on how to address it.

"Nobody's contacted me to even discuss this," Tymniak said. "All I have as a selectman is the e-blast that went out to the entire town."