Aggregate Industries, the concrete supplier that dumped truckloads of bad concrete into the Big Dig project over a decade of construction, began work on another controversial project last week: Newton North High School.
Cement trucks bearing the Aggregate Industries logo pulled into Newton on Feb. 14 to begin pouring the school’s foundation. The company will provide 2,500 cubic yards of cement for the project at a cost of $2.7 million.
Since it completed work on the Big Dig, Aggregate Industries has paid millions in fines for shoddy work and has had several executives arrested on charges of fraud. The company provided 60 percent of concrete for the project.
Spokesman Jeremy Solomon said Mayor David Cohen was confidant that the quality of the concrete would not be an issue for Newton North.
“Before every pour, our team does quality testing on the concrete,” he said. “The quality of the concrete and price are the two foremost overriding concerns when selecting a concrete contractor.”
Solomon said Aggregate, one of two concrete suppliers in the area, was awarded the contract because it submitted a lower bid for work on the $187 million project.
No one at Aggregate Industries corporate office in Maryland was available for comment.
Federal and state authorities raided the Aggregate’s office in June 2005 to look for evidence of wrongdoing related to the Big Dig project.
The following year, six executives were arrested and accused of conspiring to use substandard concrete and falsifying records.
The executives, who are still awaiting trial, have been charged with 135 counts of conspiracy to commit highway project fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, making false statements in connection with highway projects and mail fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
In addition, last July the company agreed to pay $50 million in penalties for delivering approximately 5,700 truckloads of substandard concrete for the Big Dig project between 1996 and 2005.
The company could also be on the hook for an additional $75 million if maintenance and repair costs associated with the faulty concrete exceed the initial $50 million.
Several lawmakers have called on the governor to block the company from doing business with the state.
Solomon said he was not sure if the mayor was aware of the company’s history going into the project.
“Even if he did, I know his foremost concerns are for safe concrete and best price, as it should be,” Solomon said.
“It appears the Newton TAB is trying to make an issue where one does not exist,” he said.
Neal Simpson can be reached at nsimpson@cnc.com.
Sate House News Service contributed to this report.
