Plympton Board of Health Votes to Restrict Town Hall Basement Access Over Health Concerns

PLYMPTON — August 26, 2025 — Plympton Board of Health votes to restrict Town Hall basement access over mold and asbestos concerns dating to 2005. The board voted unanimously at its August 26 meeting to limit access to the Town Hall basement to essential building-maintenance functions only, after board member Art Morin described recent removal of potentially mold-contaminated materials by Highway Department workers without hazmat precautions and a blocked foundation drain that has caused chronic water intrusion. Health Agent Kathy Ferguson found a 2005 American Biomedical Consultants inspection report documenting mold and other hazards in the basement, with no documentation in Board of Health files confirming the recommended remediation was ever completed. Morin cited an informal cancer count of roughly eight to twelve cases among past and present Town Hall employees — while noting no building connection had been confirmed — and called for professional testing for mold, radon, and asbestos before any further use of the space. "It's time we stopped kicking the can down the road," Morin said. The board also approved conditional plans for a new shared septic system at 77 Spring Street, granted a variance and plan approval for a repair at 178 Main Street, and approved large-event permits for Sawchuck's Corn Maze and the Mayflower Market Days on October 18 and 19.