City Failure to Address Toxic Debris from Real Estate Company and Contractor.
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5/11/26
Dear Neighbor,
A few months ago, Vector Residential purchased the condominium above mine and undertook a gut renovation that created a tremendous amount of dust and debris — almost certainly including asbestos and lead particles, given the age of our building.
Though legally obligated to contain and safely remediate hazardous debris and excessive construction impact, the company and its contractor failed to do so. Dust and debris were repeatedly swept into the basement adjacent to my office and circulated through the house because the contractor repeatedly refused to keep doors to the common areas closed.
The city’s Building Department has not adequately enforced the regulations required to maintain environmentally safe living conditions. The basement has still not been properly sealed or cleaned, and the city has not required Vector Residential to conduct appropriate residential remediation or ensure the safety of those living nearby.
Because I both live and work from home, the impact has been constant. My office and personal belongings have been repeatedly exposed to construction dust and debris, yet no professional residential cleanup or remediation has been offered or required. Parts of my home are unusable.
This is especially concerning given how I’ve been feeling in recent weeks: shortness of breath, nausea, congestion, and an unusually elevated heart rate.
My concern is not only for myself, but for our neighborhood. For weeks, the dumpster in the driveway was filled with open bags of construction debris exposed to wind and weather. No neighborhood — especially one with children and older residents — should be subjected to this.
I am encouraging neighbors to contact Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn at mayor@medford-ma.gov and express concern about the city’s failure to ensure safe containment and cleanup practices during residential construction projects.
Before entering private practice, I worked for many years as a clinical social worker in oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I have seen firsthand the consequences of environmental exposure and the importance of municipalities taking public health seriously and proactively.
No neighborhood should have to wonder whether hazardous construction debris is being allowed to circulate through homes, yards, and shared spaces because a company failed to follow basic safety precautions and the city failed to enforce them.
Sincerely,
Sarah Murphy, LICSW