Mesothelioma and Asbestos

The former Belchertown State School in Massachusetts was closed in 1992. Now it needs to be cleaned up as well as used down in order to attract commercial development to the area. MassDevelopment as well as the Town Planner possess come up with recommendations for the site over a 10-year period.

There are 30 brick buildings on the school property, most of which are contaminated with the toxic mineral asbestos. The asbestos has to be removed before the buildings can come down. Governor Deval Patrick authorized a $10 million bond for the state school cleanup final year, but the town has not yet received the money. The chairman of the Economic Development Industrial Corp. is hoping that local legislators can get a portion of that money soon so that some of the parcels of land near the Senior Center can possess the asbestos removed.

Officials hope the cleanup will help attract commercial developers to the property as well as that any construction that takes place there will attract other developers to the area. The town development board has already sold several parcels of its property to be developed for Tractor Supply, Hulmes Transportation as well as other businesses. Nearly $12 million has been invested in the land owned by the town development board. The businesses now located there possess created 133 full-time jobs, 598 part-time jobs as well as generated $76,844 in property taxes.

For the filled story, go to MassLive.com.