Remediation of PCB-containing Building Materials in Student Housing

1
Remediation of PCB-containing Building Materials
in Student Housing
2
PCBs in Building Materials Opportunities and
Strategies

• Areas of Concern
• Building Focus Windows, Expansion Joints,
  Masonry
• Other Campus High Occupancy Areas
• Strategy
• Proactive Response to an Accidental Discovery
• Boundary Repair vs. Renovation, Demolition
• Community Education and Involvement Throughout
• Multi-Media Panel Medical, EHS, Risk Assessment
  
• Design the Plan, Revise in Response to Occupants
• Where theres PCB, theres probablyasbestos

3
PCB Use Traditional Sources

• Dielectric fluids transformers and capacitors
• Other electrical equipment including voltage
  regulators, switches, reclosers, bushings, and
  electromagnets
• Hydraulic oils elevators, etc.
• Light ballasts
• Cable insulation
• Analytical standards for laboratories

4
PCBs in Building Components

• Caulking
• Elevators/ Hydraulic Oils
• Sealants in heating systems
• Thermal insulation material including fiberglass,
  felt, foam, and cork
• Oil-Based Paint

5
Popular press picks up on the PCB issue in
primary/secondary schools
6
Harvard University Study Used Soil Samples to
Implicate Caulking as PCB Source
7
Building Photo, Schematic of Planned Remediation
Work
8
Site Conditions

• Action levels
• 10 ppm for high-occupancy, 1 ppm for soil
• Contaminated Caulking
• 200,000 ppm
• Contaminated Building Materials
• Brick _at_ 400 ppm
• Concrete _at_ 5-2,300 ppm
• Soils
• 2 ppm

9
Pilot Test

• Activities
• Caulking Removal
• First Row of Bricks Removed
• Chemical Washing of Concrete Surfaces
• Encapsulation of Select Concrete Surfaces
• Prior EPA Approval required
• Technically feasible, but disruptive to occupants

10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
Revised Approach

• Any Plan Revisions Require EPA Approval
• Less material removal and with hand tools only
• Caulking removal
• Chemical washing of horizontal surfaces only
• Encapsulate all adjacent building surfaces

14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
Continued OM

• Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance
• Semi-Annual Visual Inspections
• Annual Sampling
• Long-Term Maintenance
• Material Characterization
• Requirement upon Demolition
• Deed Restriction

18
Lessons Learned

• Technical Points
• Length of EPA Review Process
• Value of Expert Risk Assessor
• Contractor Knowledge Still New Ground
• Communications Points
• Building Occupants Savvy and Initiative
• Value of In-House Occupational Health Physician
• Value of Town-Hall Meetings w/ Residents
• Websites are sprouting around this issue

19
Residence Website
and the Residents Blog