Prior to demolition or renovation of a public or commercial building, most municipalities require that that building first be surveyed for asbestos materials.  Any asbestos identified must be removed prior to demolition.  This is also a requirement of Cal. Title 8 1529 and 29CFR 1926.1101.

Ellis has performed hundreds of asbestos surveys in Torrance, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles and other cities in the South Bay region.  Occasionally, we're asked to review asbestos survey reports prepared by other firms.

When reviewing reports prepared by others, we often see the same kinds of errors, omissions or deficiencies:

1.  Too many reports are tedious, needlessly complex, and difficult to understand.  Most important, an asbestos survey report should be written simply, and its sections prioritized like a newspaper.  The most important information - where is the asbestos in my building and what is its condition? - should be first, in the form of an executive summary.  This should be followed by brief sections on methodology, a discussion of results, recommendations and a signatory.  Appendices should include a table summarizing results, drawings to show sample and asbestos material locations, laboratory results, and so on.  You should be able to gain an understanding of the asbestos materials in your building - and their condition - within five minutes of reading the report.

2.  Identified asbestos materials MUST be quantified.  This is a requirement of AQMD Rule 1403 (among others).  Many firms balk at visiting a site a second time merely to calculate quantities of  identified asbestos. But doing so is easier and much more efficient than quantifying every sampled material (asbestos and non-asbestos) during the initial survey effort.

3. Differentiate between plaster and wallboard.  Too often, a testing agency will find asbestos in joint compound in wallboard, and then include all plaster walls in their recommended abatement scope.  This is a mistake that can cost hundreds of thousands in unnecessary abatement costs.  And few bidding contractors are likely to point out that mistake.

4.  Identify any areas not accessed, and why.  We recently were asked to resurvey a defense contractor's primary office facility in El Segundo.  During our re-sampling effort, we managed to find 16 different suspect materials that were not identified or sampled in the original survey.  The project was stopped, when the abatement contractor correctly brought this to the Owner's attention.  A thorough survey will include lifting of suspended ceiling tiles, opening attic and wall hatches, lifting carpet to see what's underneath, etc.  Of course, complete visual access to all materials would require demolition of walls and floors, something that is rarely possible in an occupied building.  But representative areas can usually be accessed, with subsequent assumptions made and defended in the report.  

5.  Prepare simple CAD drawings to show where asbestos materials are present.  Sample location drawings can be useful.  But it's the material location drawings that will be used by bidding contractors. 

6.  Include photographs of identified asbestos materials.  This avoids any misinterpretation of the report. 

While not all of the above steps are required when sampling small individual areas or locations, they are a basic requirement of any full-building survey.  We're constantly surprised by how often one or more of the above are omitted.

Ellis has helped many of its clients with their filing requirements under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System.

Ellis can help you prepare Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP) and applications for NPDES discharge permits. Once SWPPP or discharge permits are in place, Ellis can prepare the annual reports to the Regional Water Board or State Water Resources Control Board and assist in any required sampling or inspections as needed. 

 Regina Kruglyak, one of our field technicians, is currently taking a leave of absence from Ellis to work with MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres a.k.a Doctors Without Borders) in Uganda and Malawi. She will be working on a mass measles vaccination project. Life in Africa is a daily struggle, and while the locals are more concerned with immediate life threatening illness and hunger then toxic substances, mold, and carcinogens, Regina will still be taking some of the experience she gained from Ellis with her. Regina will be responsible for setting up containment zones for the infected, and exclusion and safe zones for the at risk locals. She will also be in charge of on site construction, crowd control, and cold chain management (ice packs, the vaccine and solvent MUST stay between 2 - 8 degrees Celsius). Regina has made a unique and valuable addition to our company, and her commitment to public health is evident in her choice to give up the safe and comfortable lifestyle she has here to help those truly in need. We wish Regina the best, and look forward to her safe return.

Large or small, every abatement/demolition project requires the same basic steps:

1.  ASSESS:  What asbestos, lead or other hazardous materials will be impacted by the proposed project?  Only a hazmat survey can provide this information.  For small specific areas, this may be as simple as collecting a few samples of wall, ceiling and flooring materials.

2.  SCOPE OF WORK:  If hazardous materials are found, their removal should be a normal, scheduled part of your renovation/demolition project.  Identify when the materials will be removed, the duration of the abatement project, clearance requirements, etc.

3.  PROCURE BIDS:  For a small project, a price may be negotiated with a single contractor based on an informal viewing or verbal description of the work.  For larger private projects, a formal scope of work should be distributed to a select number of trusted firms.  For public works, the bid process will be advertised, and a formal bid conference will be scheduled.  In both of these cases, minutes of that conference, and any changes to the scope, should be provided in writing to all planholders.

4.  PRE-START MEETING:  Use this to discuss the finer details of the scheduled project - staffing, notification to regulatory agencies, specific start and finish dates, hours of work, emergency protocols and contacts, utility, staging and waste storage locations, etc.

If the above 4 steps are performed well, the project has a much greater chance of completing successfully and on time.  For smaller projects, an Owner is often able to perform and complete these steps on their own.  For larger projects, Ellis will typically assist with or provide each effort on behalf of the Owner. 

After the Rain

Severe, continued rains have caused water damage in a number of LA County buildings.  The most common entry points:  (1) roof leaks, (2) poor window seals, and (3) water puddling adjacent to exterior walls.  

If water has entered your building, you can take immediate steps to lessen the effects of the damage:

1. Most important, identify walls that have become wet.  Moisture usually collects along baseboards, wicking up the wallboard for a foot or two.  A moisture meter will be useful for this initial assessment.

2.  Wherever possible, remove wet wallboard quickly, then clean and dry the inner wall space.  If you've had to wait more than a week to strip that wallboard, carefully inspect the back (inner) side of the wallboard for signs of mold (which usually starts as small, dark round spots) and discoloration.  If found, you may need an abatement contractor to complete the job, for what is often significantly higher cost.  If you've waited more than 3 weeks, you should probably bring one on board right away. 

(We're not overly encouraged by restoration contractors who drill holes in walls and and then try to dry the inner wall space with fans and dehumidifiers.  Particularly when wet insulation is present, these efforts are rarely as effective as removing the wet walls and are often much more expensive.)

3.  Assuming you were able to strip the wallboard prior to any mold growth, use that drying time to identify and correct the source of the water intrusion.  Make sure this is done before installing new materials. 

4.  The above 3 steps are your best defense against future mold growth, and will help keep a small problem from becoming a very large one.  Call this office for additional information. 

And by the way, unlike wallboard paper(an excellent host for mold growth), Soaked carpet is generally a poor host.  Tacked down carpet that has become soaked can sometimes be lifted and dried.  Removal of glued-down carpet is much more difficult, and may not be necessary if the carpet is on a concrete substrate.  Here, thoroughly wet-vacuuming and dehumidifiers are probably appropriate. 

What Causes Indoor Air Problems?

Pollutant Sources

There are many sources of indoor air pollution. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.  Although it is odorless and tasteless, asbestos and other fibrous dusts can be a long-term health risk.  A buildup of carbon dioxide, caused by inadequate ventilation, is a major source of indoor air complaints. 

For more information, click on the "Resource" tab above.

ELLIS TAPPED

TO ASSIST WITH $30 MILLION SCHOOL RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

In December 2009, Ellis was awarded design, testing and administrative duties for the removal of contaminated soils from a southern California school district.   

A portion of the school buildings at the site had been constructed on 20 vertical feet of unknown fill that had been deposited at the site more than 40 years ago.  Ellis first administered the asbestos removal and demolition of each building, whereupon they were demolished.  Now working on a cleared site, Ellis sampled the fill material prior to new construction.  Arsenic and other contaminants were discovered.  In cooperation with the state Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC), excavation of contaminated soil is scheduled for December, 2009.