Mr. Corcoran said the asbestos on the Grace property in Cambridge posed no danger because it was covered by grass, plants or pavement. Ms. Stanton said the E.P.A. inquiry was part of a nationwide examination of the company's handling of asbestos, an ingredient of fireproofing products it sold in the United States from the early 1960's until the mid-1980's. The E.P.A.'s review of W. R. Grace operations was prompted by disclosures late last year that a large number of company employees had died of respiratory illnesses characteristic of exposure to asbestos. Grace made insulation and other building products from vermiculite, a mineral that often contains asbestos. The E.P.A. is investigating the illnesses and deaths of Grace workers who handled vermiculite in mines and factories around the country.
Asbestos is known to cause lung and other cancers and is considered dangerous when airborne.
Grace's decision to drop the hotel project has not assuaged the fears in the neighborhood about the safety of the athletic field. Cambridge officials have told Grace and the transit authority that they may be held responsible for the cost of cleaning up the field. Ask questions about National News and tell other readers what you know in Abuzz, a new knowledge network from The New York Times.