A $1.9 million job to remove asbestos from the man-shaped, two-story house in Marlborough, Mass., has become a national disaster for the state, a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection official said Wednesday.
“The asbestos removal of the house is a $1,000,000 job, and this is a significant number,” said Patrick M. Guglielmi, the DEP’s commissioner of public works and environmental health.
“The state will take a very hard look at the state’s asbestos compliance and compliance with federal and state laws, as well as any potential violations that may have occurred at this site.”
Marlborough resident and former Marlboro State University student Josephine D. Nussbaum was living in the home with her husband and three children when it caught fire in March 2012.
The family had spent much of their vacation time in New England, and the family was taking a trip to Virginia when they were evacuated.
The fire burned out of control, and Nussbaums mother and father were badly burned.
“We could hear the smoke, and there was so much smoke coming out of the fireplace, that it was like a tornado was coming out, and it was blowing my whole house away,” Nussums mother, Mary Nussbod, said.
Nussbaum and her husband, William J. Nossbaum, had moved to the house in 2013.
The Nossums live in a five-bedroom house on the third floor, which is next to a parking garage.
Marlboro firefighters pulled the fire out of a garage and sprayed the roof with water.
When Nussbahs mother and her brother returned from a vacation, the Nossbahs were shocked to see the fire had been put out.
“They were just like, ‘Wow, it’s just blown our house away,'” she said.
The fire destroyed Nussbelts mother’s house, as did Nussbarbs brother, William, who was living on the first floor.
“It’s not just my house that was destroyed, but all of the family,” Nossbaums brother said.
“I mean, we’re in a bad neighborhood.”
The fire destroyed the house.
“It’s a pretty good reminder that you should be vigilant and follow the law,” Muffin Nuss, a Marlborow resident who works at a local community center, said about the fire.
“If you see someone else having a problem, they need to call the local fire department.
They need to get out of there.
It’s not worth it to keep going.”
Muffin also said he would like to see more government regulations in regards to asbestos removal.
“This is a real public health issue, and we need to look at it like a public health problem,” Mufin Nusbod said.
A federal judge ordered the State of Massachusetts to conduct a full investigation into the fire and conduct an asbestos compliance analysis.
“A review of the facts of the case will likely reveal whether any violations of state or federal law occurred,” Gugliai said.
Mugliels report said the fire destroyed about 3,000 square feet of the home.
“Based on the investigation conducted by the Massachusetts Department for Environmental Protection and the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Fire Marshal, the State believes that the fire was caused by an unsecured asbestos material,” Mugliellis report said.
He said the asbestos was removed by contractors from an outside contractor, and he expects the contractors to pay for the work.
The report did not specify whether any other asbestos-related damage was reported to the Department for the fire or the state.
The DEP is expected to conduct an investigation into asbestos safety in the future, Guglioi said, adding that he has been asked to conduct another investigation into other asbestos problems in Marland.
The Marlombow fire came on the heels of a fire in a neighboring town, in which an elderly woman was injured.
The state is investigating both fires.
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