20 Sites — Including Schools — To Be Tested For Contamination

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield playgrounds and athletic fields, many at local schools, will be among the sites tested for contamination in connection with an investigation of the town public works yard and the company contracted to run it. The Town of Fairfield posted a list Friday evening of 20 sites identified as priorities for testing.

The list comes in the wake of the discovery of asbestos shingles, barium and lead along a 3-foot stretch of sidewalk at Gould Manor Park. Fairfield police and the state's attorney requested the area be tested by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection due to concerns that contaminated fill from the public works yard was used for a 2013-14 sidewalk improvement project at the park.

Among the newly named sites for testing are nine schools, eight of which are elementary schools, as well as several parks, fields and other facilities.

"This was my worst fear, that it was going to wind up on multiple sites throughout the town, specifically schools," said Selectman Edward Bateson, a Republican, who suggested the Fairfield school board should consider whether to start the school year Aug. 29 as scheduled.

Board of Education Chair Christine Vitale, a Democrat, said the school district is following the health department's lead, and will wait for the results before formulating a plan.

"By this time next week, we should know a lot more," Vitale said.

The town is prioritizing schools and fields for testing, which will start Monday, according to First Selectman Mike Tetreau, a Democrat. All the listed sites received material from the public works yard between 2013 and 2016, when contractor Julian Development was operating the facility.

"I'm surprised at how big the list is. I really am," Selectman Christopher Tymniak, a Republican, said.

Results on some of the tests could be available as soon as Thursday.

"It's all on an expedited plan," Tetreau said.

A specialist hired by the town will test the sites and handle remediation planning, according to Tetreau. Samples will be collected for testing throughout the coming week, weather permitting. After consulting with state officials, the town has determined restrictions at the sites are not necessary, pending the test results, according to a statement from the town. If remediation is needed for any of the sites, access will be restricted until the remediation is complete.

Additional locations will be identified for testing as the town continues to review public works records, according to the statement.

Bateson expressed concern about the town overseeing testing and said he would like to see the state conduct tests as well.

"I am leery of the town managing a crisis of this size at this time," he said.

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 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 were recently placed on leave from their town jobs.

Tymniak expressed frustration Saturday, saying that Michelangelo and Bartlett were not held accountable three years ago when it was discovered the fill pile had grown in size.

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.

All test results will be posted at www.fairfieldct.org/filluseissues as they become available. Residents with questions can email fillusequestions@fairfieldct.org.