The following is an opinion from one of our followers, John Correia
“Day 1 at the Bedford St Demo: Asbestos Safety Controls Are Already Failing.”
I drove by day one of the old Bedford Street police station demolition, and in my opinion, it’s going about as poorly as you’d expect.
They’re tearing down a building where every square foot is being treated as hot asbestos, yet basic dust containment is already getting botched. SER Jobs is sitting literally 30 feet away, and the Central Fire Station is 95 feet across the street.
Here is what I personally observed on day one:
Improper Misting: Instead of atomized misting cannons directed at both sides of the excavator claw where material is actively being crushed, they’re using a higher-pressure hose randomly spraying static piles on the ground. High-pressure water doesn’t knock down microscopic fibers—it creates air turbulence and lofts them right into the air.
Water Runoff Hazard: The high volume of water is creating an environmental issue because there are no active containment berms keeping small particles on site. Contaminated water is running off the property, and once those pooled puddles dry down the road, cars and foot traffic will grind it into a secondary dust hazard.
No Air Monitoring: There were no visible perimeter air quality pumps set up downstream to monitor what’s floating toward neighboring buildings—whether the road is closed or not.
Lack of Containment: Jersey barriers are in place, but as you can see driving or walking by, there is no active containment protocol behind them.
Dumpster Handling: They stated lined 40-yard roll-off dumpsters would be used, but given what’s happening already, we’ll see if that standard is actually maintained.
I’m glad this building is finally being dealt with, but corners are clearly being cut.
I understand asbestos abatement and why safety provisions exist. Because this structure was physically hazardous and inaccessible for conventional indoor stripping, standard protocols shift to remote engineering controls. Under a Non-Traditional Work Plan (governed by EPA NESHAP and OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101), treating an entire building as an active containment zone requires continuous, targeted water suppression at the point of destruction and real-time Activity-Based Sampling (ABS) to track airborne drift.
We’re fortunate winds are forecasted under 10 mph for the next five days, but relying on calm weather instead of proper misting, containment, and air monitoring is absurd.
If you’re working or spending time anywhere near Bedford, High, or Troy Streets right now, keep your windows shut and set your AC to recirculate.
Non-Traditional Work Plans exist for a reason. If this is how day one is handled, MassDEP and OSHA need to step in before everyone in the immediate area breathes in whatever is being kicked up.
Entities, City Departments & Contractors:
Demolition Contractor: Bestech, Inc.
City Departments: Fall River Building Department (Building Inspector Glenn Hathaway), Fall River Board of Health, City of Fall River Mayor’s Office
Public Safety: Fall River Fire Department (Central Fire Station), Fall River Police Department
Enforcement Agencies: MassDEP (Southeast Regional Office – Asbestos Division), OSHA (U.S. Department of Labor) / Mass DOLS
Impacted Neighboring Property: SER-Jobs for Progress (SER Jobs)
