[CPEO-BIF] Background Contaminants

[Tony Chenhansa <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

>From: "Eady-ENV, Veronica" <Veronica.Eady@state.ma.us> (Veronica Eady)
>Subject: Background Contaminants
>
>Here in the inner cities in Massachusetts, in particular, Roxbury, an 
>emerging issue in clean up standards has come to my attention.  I was 
>wondering whether anyone else has run into this issue and/or has advice.
>
>There are a number of renovations and demolitions of public or low income 
>housing going on in Roxbury.  More than one person involved with these 
>projects has mentioned to me that Roxbury generally has high soil levels of 
>PAHs, lead, and now I'm hearing asbestos.  Some of this contamination has 
>come from earlier demos that took place before we had handling practices or 
>laws regulating these substances.  Now, remediation companies are looking to 
>regulatory agencies to consider this contamination as background 
>contamination.  Some have, in fact, indicated to me that there is a growing 
>feeling that it is unfair to expect them to clean up this pre-existing 
>contamination and that they are only being asked to do so because of the 
>location of the projects in a community of color.  In other words, reverse 
>discrimination?  A concern about appearances over what is truly fair to
those 
>involved with the projects?
>
>This problem must persist in other older cities across the country.  Has 
>anyone else run into this problem?  Advice?
>
>Veronica Eady 
>veronica.eady@state.ma.us
>_______________________________________________________
>Veronica Eady, Esq.
>Environmental Justice and Brownfields Program Director
>Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
>100 Cambridge Street, 20th Floor
>Boston, MA  02202
>
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