FARMINGTON – The Franklin County district attorney has suggested an air-quality test be done in his office in the basement of the County Courthouse.
District Attorney Norman Croteau said Thursday that he wants to make sure the air quality in the office is healthy for workers and that problems are resolved.
Early in the year, an assistant district attorney, a state police detective and an administrative assistant moved out of one of the basement offices to other rooms in the basement.
The office had been smelling bad, but on Jan. 25 it was particularly noxious, Assistant District Attorney James Andrews wrote in a memo to commissioners back then.
Andrews stated that the heating system had had intermittent problems, with leaks from the radiators over the years. Water dripped onto insulated pipes and dried by the heat was emitting a sharp, musty odor making working conditions unbearable, Andrews wrote.
Croteau also sent his own letter to Franklin County commissioners asking that air-quality test be done.
Commissioners have discussed possibilities of the courthouse custodian putting new floor tiles in the basement office and of getting contractors to bid on a section of wall that needs to be replaced. The initial bids were more than the insurance company allotted for the damage.
On Tuesday, County Clerk Julie Magoon told commissioners that Croteau wants an in-depth air quality test done on the office and wants to have the asbestos examined. Commissioner Gary McGrane said he talked to Croteau to discuss the issue.
A state department was contacted, Magoon said, but didn’t do the type of testing Croteau wanted, one that would be able to pick up on mold or airborne materials.
Commissioners directed Magoon to make some calls to get information on the air-quality testing.
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