Just days after state officials canceled a contract that provided more than $29 million in hazardous waste projects to a select list of four companies, they released new guidelines Wednesday that sharply limit when municipalities can make use of the process for school construction. The grand jury investigation has raised questions about whether Diamantis pressured municipalities to hire specific contractors, construction managers and hazardous waste and asbestos removal companies. The original DAS contract, “16PSX0110,” was designed to be an on-call emergency list for towns to use for hazardous waste abatement ranging from asbestos removal to mold remediation in state buildings. But under Diamantis, the former deputy secretary at the state Office of Policy and Management, many municipalities started using the list to bid for hazardous waste removal and demolition on school construction projects.
State releases new guidelines for hazardous waste removal contracts