Maryland Department Of Environment To Test Chestnut Lodge Area

As >Rockville Central readers know, on June 7 the historic Chestnut Lodge burned down. (Editor Cindy Cotte Griffiths wrote a very useful recap of the situation, among the first to cover the event).

One concern that some expressed after the fire was that, because the structure was so old, that lead-based paint could have been spread around some areas of the West End and create hazards. The City later issued an advisory on this subject. Some local residents have had their own soil samples tested and the results have been so far inconclusive and more tests are scheduled.

In the meantime, we have learned that the Maryland Department of the Environment plans to conduct local testing today, Monday, August 24. The small team should be at Chestnut Lodge and surrounding areas.

We do not know exactly where they will be testing, or whether individual residents can request samples be taken from their own yard. If we learn more, we will update this post.

Chestnut Lodge Public Advisory Issued

The City of Rockville has issued a public advisory for people in the area around Chestnut Lodge. >The full advisory is available here.

Here is the text:

As you know, Rockville suffered a tragic loss when the Chestnut Lodge, located on West Montgomery Avenue was destroyed in a fire. During the fire, paint chips were released to the neighborhood. Rockville officials surveyed the area surrounding Chestnut Lodge and found that paint chips were confined to a relatively small area to the immediate north of the fire in the vicinity of 411 West. Montgomery Avenue.

Test results have confirmed that these paint chips contain lead. While the lead concentration in the chips is lower than the U.S. EPA hazardous waste threshold, these chips should still be handled and disposed of with care. According to U.S. EPA, people exposed to high levels of lead from eating paint chips or breathing lead dust may experience muscle and joint pain, memory problems, nerve disorders, high blood pressure and reproductive problems. Small children are particularly susceptible to adverse effects from lead exposure.

The paint chip distribution appears to be confined to a relatively small area in the neighborhood. Residents finding paint chips are advised to take the following precautions:

• Keep toddler-age children away from areas containing these paint chips.
• Remove any remaining paint chips from your yard. Use gloves and wash your hands after handling this material.
• Residents are asked to bag the material and place it in their refuse containers (where it will ultimately be incinerated). Alternatively, the chips may be taken to the Montgomery County Solid Waste Transfer Facility on Frederick Road (aka Rockville Pike).
• If a significant number of chips have been incorporated into the soil following recent rain events, residents may wish to have that area of their yard tested before continuing to use it as a child’s play area or for a vegetable garden.
• Soil testing can be performed at several area laboratories easily identified in the phone book. The lab will need about a baggie full of soil taken from the first 2 inches of the area in question. Results should be available in about a week and cost approximately $35.

For more information, Residents can call the EPA Lead Hotline (8 am – 6 pm) at 1(800) 424-5323; or the Rockville Environmental Management Office at (240) 314-8870.

Avoid Possible Hazardous Material At Chestnut Lodge Site — And Around Town

Some Rockville citizens have pointed out a new aspect of the >Chestnut Lodge fire that has not yet come to the fore. The fire may have spread contaminants into the air and surrounding areas.

Specifically, some are worried about lead paint and asbestos. Chestnut Lodge was built before those substances were banned.

It appears that if asbestos were used in construction of Chestnut Lodge it would have vaporized into the air. However, some say there is a possibility that the many paint chips that fell from the air in the hours after the fire were lead-based. Lead, as a heavy metal, could easily leach into the surrounding ground.

Our understanding is that the City has been in touch with state environmental officials about the issue and have received preliminary information and are formulating a response.

At least one West End resident has been collecting paint chips and charred pieces of wood that could be used for testing. But Lincoln Park residents also spoke of dust on their cars after the fire so a broader examination may be a good idea.

For citizens, the best current advice is to stay away from the Chestnut Lodge site (treat it as a hazardous area). Here is a good information sheet from New York State on lead paint. Residents may also consider avoiding using lawnmowers and leaf blowers so as not to further stir up possible lead dust. Parents of nearby Beall Elementary School children should keep their children away from the site.

Just to be clear: We do not know that lead-based paint was spread around, but according to some — it is a possibility.

We understand that the City should be issuing a press release or other communication on this in the near future.

If readers have advice, please add it in the comments so others can have your good counsel.

More Chestnut Lodge Fire Coverage

The early-Sunday fire at the historic landmark Chestnut Lodge is one of the largest stories to hit Rockville in some time, and a number of news organizations have been covering it. (>Cindy Cotte Griffiths filed a report that was among the first accounts here.)

Of the coverage, our friends at the Gazette have had notably good pieces like this one.

And, the City itself has an excellent video recap that’s available here.

The building had no electricity running to it and officials have said the cause of the fire was likely human. They asked the public to call the county’s arson tip line at 240-777-2263 with any information about the fire. If you saw or heard anything in the wee hours Sunday, please make the call!

Stay tuned and we will continue to update this story.

Chestnut Lodge Burns and Collapses

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According to local news outlets, a barking dog alerted a neighbor to the blaze at the Chestnut Lodge around 3 AM. Firefighters arrived on the scene but only the shell of this 19th century gem remains. No one was injured.

Around 9:45 this morning, onlookers told me the owner was at the site and he was concerned people would think the fire was deliberately set. Also, he said the building did not have electricity.

Originally built as the Woodlawn Hotel in the 1800′s, the building was used as a psychiatric hospital for 75 years before closing in 2001 due to financial difficulty. In May 2004, the Mayor and Council adopted guidelines for the development of the property which would preserve the historical and architectural features. Morton H. Levine’s plan to build 36 Victorian-style homes on the property and convert the hotel into seven luxury condominiums was approved in 2006. Although some homes have been built, renovations to the building had not started.