Framingham Health Department Closes Elementary School Playground

For “precautionary reasons,” one of the playgrounds at Wilson Elementary School was closed by the Framingham Board of Health.

Acting Health Director Roberto Santamaría said a fence on a property next to the playground has “encapsulated asbestos.”

Santamaria said testing was done at the elementary school playground, and tests concluded no asbestos is in the playground and there is no asbestos in the air around the playground.

The playground was closed to children the first week of November.

“Everything is apparently ready to go in terms of removal of the offending fence next to Wilson School,” said Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin.

Halpin said the owner of the property has hired a contractor to remove the fence. A contractor has to be licensed to remove an asbestos fence to be careful not to release asbestos particles during the process.

Santamaria said the property owner was given a 10-day notice to remove the fence and to remove the mulch betwen the school and the property.

He told Framingham Patch yesterday, Nov. 19, that the owner of the property told the Framingham Health department the contractor is scheduled to remove the fence the weekend of Dec. 6-7.

Santamaria said that means the earliest the playground could re-open is Monday, Dec. 8.

Families contacted Framingham Patch about the playground closing, unhappy that this is the second playground in their neighborhood closed.

In September, the Town of Framingham closed a playground at Mary Dennison Playground due to contamination issues.

Officials said a letter did go home to families at the school, but it is unclear if the neighborhood was contacted. Families, with children not school age, do use the playground after school hours and on the weekends, and there are families, who live in the neighborhood, but attend other elementary schools.

Wilson Elementary School is one of the town’s nine elementary schools. It has more than 550 students in grades K-5.

The school is located next to a hazardous waste transfer site operated by General Chemical. In 2012, the company announced its plans to close.

Santamaria said it is important for families with children to understand that the tests conducted showed no asbestos in the air at the playground, in the mulch in the playground or in the playground at all.

Asbestos fibers when disturbed, can float in the air and can be easily breathed into the lungs.

Scientists have recognized asbestos as a health threat to humans because these fibers can be breathed into the lungs and can cause cancer and other lung diseases, when exposed to high concentrations or over an extended period of time.

The acting health director said the current homeowner did not erect the fence. The fence is estimated to have been on the property since the 1970s, said Santamaria, who was hired by the town in Nov. 2013. Asbestos was used in producing fences up until the mid 1980s.