David Padellaro, owner of the former Merrimac Paper Co. mill, has had a salvage operation shut down after state Attorney General Martha Coakley requested a court order to block work at the 134-year-old complex due to the presence of friable, or airborne, asbestos.
As a result, Padallero was ordered by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Bonnie MacLeod to stop removing machinery and salvaging pipes, turbines, transformers, metals, pumps, and other valuables from the South Canal Street site, which he has done since acquiring the property in 2010. Judge MacLeod has blocked Padellaro from further salvaging until February 24, when she hears Coakley’s request for an injunction that will further delay Padellaro’s project. Padellaro, who already owes the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) $26,000 in fines, would be directed to obtain the required permits for work in contaminated buildings.
MacLeod has also prevented Padellaro from razing a few mill buildings until it is determined that regulations and protocols are being followed to contain asbestos and other toxins during the demolition.
In a statement issued with Coakley, the commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Kenneth Kimmell said, “Mr. Padellaro has willfully ignored MassDEP’s enforcement actions and exposed workers and potentially others to a public safety hazard and an unnecessary environmental risk. With this action, we are hopeful that this site, located within an environmental justice community, will finally be safely cleaned up.”
Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious health problems, including various types of lung cancer, such as mesothelioma. Following state regulations when handling asbestos helps prevent the hazardous fibers from becoming airborne and posing a risk to the public.