[MassHistPres] Environmental hazards of demolition of older homes

[Dennis De Witt]

There is a courtroom lawyer’s adage about never asking a question to which you do not know the answer.  There may be a corollary to that applicable to this concept.

One might be cautious about raising such alarms, all of whose long term repercussions not be fully anticipated.  I’d be concerned that it could come back to bite the preservation community.

Dennis De Witt
Brookline


> On May 1, 2018, at 6:43 AM, WN Hill Preservation <wnhpreservation at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> We are looking for input on the public health and environmental consequences of demolitions of historic homes.
> 
> Based on research <http://www.aecf.org/resources/responsible-demolition-a-baltimore-case-study-with-national-implications/> there are risks of lead and asbestos contamination to air and soil. Apparently cities in other parts of the country such as Baltimore, Detroit and Portland Oregon have stricter guidelines than we seem to have in Newton. In Portland, OR pre-1916 homes need to be dismantled piece by piece for maximum reuse, which is consistent with minimizing usable materials going to landfill.
> 
> The minimum steps for safely would seem to include testing the soil and air before and after demolitions, and giving advance notice to neighbors to close windows and keep children, pets and vegetable gardens safe, but this doesn't seem to be the practice here.
> 
> An 1855 house in our neighborhood on West Newton Hill is being sold to a developer and is under immediate threat. Would be interested to know of any research on public health risks of demolitions of older homes in Massachusetts. 
> 
> Also are there stricter guidelines in force in other communities in Massachusetts  about what happens when older structures are demolished? (eg monitoring; notifying neighbors of risks; requiring salvage rather than disposal of intact architectural components) 
> 
> Laura Foote, West Newton Hill Preservation Initiative
> 
> 
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