Contaminated soil delays construction of Quincy's new animal shelter

QUINCY − The detection of asbestos has delayed construction of Quincy's new animal shelter as the city coordinates with the state Department of Environmental Protection to deal with contamination.

The 1.5-acre site of the future shelter sits off Quarry Street next to the Quincy Dog Park. Public Buildings Director Paul Hines said construction debris was dumped into former quarries in the area. The asbestos discovered in February is among those materials.

According to the state Department of Environmental Protection website, exposure to asbestos can lead to asbestosis, which is "a chronic lung condition that makes breathing progressively more difficult," and cancers affecting the chest, lungs and abdomen.

The city council approved $15 million for the new shelter in June 2022. A contract worth just under $17 million was awarded to G&R Construction Inc. the following October.

The former animal shelter on Broad Street was demolished to make way for a 120,000-square foot, four-story public safety building now under construction. In the meantime, the Quincy Animal Shelter operates out of a retrofitted naval garage behind the senior center on East Squantum Street.

In the leadup to the project, Hines said the city worked with the Department of Environmental Protection to ensure the former dumping ground was safe for use. That included putting a cap topped by a 3-foot layer of clean earth over the affected area.

The cap is intended to isolate contaminated materials such as landfill and keep it from spreading. Capping also prevents wildlife and people from encountering contaminants, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.

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Before construction, random sampling of the soil came back negative for asbestos, Hines said.

“They missed it,” he said. “We found it the hard way.”

Once asbestos was discovered, Hines said, construction shut down immediately and the Department of Environmental Protection was notified. The state agency has been closely monitoring the site ever since, Hines said.

The city subsequently obtained state permission to excavate the affected soil and move it to another section of the parcel already known to be contaminated, which will then be recapped.

“In the long run, it will be cleaner,” Hines said, referring to the planned consolidation of contaminated soil.

With several air-monitoring systems installed on-site, he said the city has gone beyond what regulations require to ensure safety for workers and the public.

“No dust, no dirt leaves our site,” he said.

Hines said it took time to develop the remediation plan with the state, but now much of the work has been done. He said he expects the affected soil will be “fully relocated, capped and in our rearview mirror by mid-September."

In terms of final costs, Hines said numbers are not available. He said the city’s project manager, Hill International, is on-site verifying timesheets and tracking materials to ensure that all additional expenses are justified.

The road leading to the Quincy Dog Park passes by the construction site. Hines said efforts to relocate the soil have at times closed off the road. He said signs now direct people through the Avalon Quincy apartment complex to the park.

“People can utilize the dog park at all times,” Hines said.

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Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Detection of asbestos delays work on Quincy animal shelter