FARMINGTON – Asbestos pipe wrap and floor tiles will be removed from a second set of offices used by the district attorney’s staff in the basement of the courthouse.

A heating pipe wrapped in asbestos insulation sprung a major leak earlier this month and caused Assistant District Attorney Andrew Robinson, secretary Sarah Caton and victims’ advocate Kathy Wahl to move to the grand jury room in the basement.

The water also lifted some of the tiles on the floor in Robinson’s office where the leak occurred, and those tiles are asbestos as is the mastic, county Clerk Julie Magoon said.

An industrial hygienist has recommended that it would be more cost efficient to block off all three offices in that area and do them all, she said.

It’s the second time since January 2005 that the district attorney’s staff had to move to the grand jury room. It was a similar situation in another section of DA offices in the basement last year. That time, the leak in the heating system caused noxious odors from the water dripping on to the asbestos insulation covering the heating pipes. It was also suspected that there may be mold-contaminated wallboard caused by a catastrophic leak from the heating system and condensation caused by cold air coming in from outdoors.

Morrissey Environmental in Lewiston removed the asbestos insulation, tiles and mastic in that case, and other work was done to prevent the situation from recurring and staff moved back in.

The same firm has estimated it will cost $3,911 to remove the asbestos pipe wrap, floor tiles and mastic from the second office, Magoon told commissioners Tuesday.

Magoon estimated the whole project would cost no more than $7,000.

The work is not expected to be done until after Jan. 1, 2007.