The 1820 Courthouse in historic Plymouth, Massachusetts is facing a very expensive environmental and asbestos cleanup. The County Commissioner’s building is also in desperate need of work. All told, the cost of cleaning up both properties will cost over $600,000.
According to an assessment done by Atlantic Environmental Technologies Inc., of New Bedford, Massachusetts, estimates place the total cost of environmental restoration of the Courthouse at around $391,945. The total cost of restoring the commissioner’s building has been estimated to be around $234,415.
While both buildings are structurally sound, there are three underground storage tanks that must be removed. In addition, the amounts of lead and asbestos present in elevated. Asbestos abatement costs for the Courthouse are estimated at $220,445. The cost of asbestos abatement for the commissioner’s building is estimated at $82,420. Asbestos abatement is costly, but necessary, as asbestos is linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Officials said the presence of asbestos in caulking, tiles, and insulation around heating elements was not unexpected. However, asbestos was also found in the plaster of the courthouse’s 1962 addition. Asbestos was even found in a dirt floor area of the courthouse. “The asbestos scientists have cautioned that the loose asbestos in the dirt floor and the asbestos currently falling off heating elements in the basement of the Courthouse pose an immediate health risk to anyone entering the basement,” said one official.