Pollution Casts Pall Over Pats

HARTFORD, Conn.--Pollution and other problems with the proposed site for a football stadium are casting doubt on the plan that the New England Patriots will start playing in Hartford in 2001.

The team and the state estimate it will take 26 months to build the stadium. For the Patriots to play their first exhibition game in Hartford in July 2001, construction must start in May.

Before the stadium can begin to go up, the site must be studied and cleaned, and a steam plant and offices must be moved.

Gov. John G. Rowland said yesterday that 2001 is not a hard deadline.