Plympton Board of Health lifts basement ban after air-quality tests clear Palmer Road

PLYMPTON -- October 14, 2025, Plympton Board of Health unanimously lifts a basement habitation order at 5 Palmer Road after air-quality testing found no contaminants above EPA thresholds. Testing conducted October 3 sampled for asbestos, airborne mold, and radon; Health Agent Kevin reported all readings came back within acceptable limits, though a single low-level black mold reading was recorded beneath a staircase, attributed to a persistent moisture problem tied to an unresolved floor drain. The board directed the Town Administrator to investigate the drain, which may connect to Orangeburg pipe dating to the late 1930s. On the fee schedule, the board agreed to set the tobacco-license fee at $50, up from $10, and is targeting a commercial septic plan-review fee of $200 to $225, compared with the engineer's cost of $170, with a January 2026 effective date for the full updated schedule. The board also declined to take any position on a proposed 40B development known as Ricketts, noting no formal application has been filed: "It's all conjecture until the plan comes in."