If you have ever been involved in a real estate transaction, you are familiar with this assessment. It is a study done as due diligence associated with property transfer, financing or development. This Assessment reviews a property’s historical land uses and includes an inspection of the premises to determine action or potential sources of contamination.
This is a more intrusive form of investigation involving sampling and analysis of soils and groundwater. It is usually done if a Phase I assessment reveals actual or potential sources of contamination. Properties that might require a Phase II assessment might include:
Any Environmental Consultant with a geosciences background can perform this investigation. We recommend including a licensed professional such as an Engineer or Geologist as your assessor.
You can choose to cease work on this property, but to meet conditions of property transfer, financing or development, further action would be required. A follow-up study can be done to determine the nature and extent of the contamination and we can implement practical and cost-effective cleanup or on-site management of the contamination.
The Texas Asbestos Health Protection Rules and EPA’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants require that a thorough survey be performed in all parts of the building that will be affected by renovation or demolition.
The cost for a survey will depend on the square footage of the structure, the construction/renovation history, number and types of suspect materials present, number of samples collected, duration of survey and whether figures are required in the final report. Costs for smaller projects such as typical office space, residential structures and retail spaces can usually be determined over the phone based on our past experiences. Larger projects usually require a site visit prior to preparing a proposal.
Regulatory agencies have specified a minimum number of samples that must be collected for each type of material. In addition, the number of samples vary depending on the quantity of a given suspect material.
Yes. There is no construction date which exempts a structure from needing an asbestos survey prior to demolition or renovation.
This depends on several factors such as the purpose of the renovation and how many residential structures have been demolished within a city block by the same owner within a calendar year.
On July 12, 1989, the EPA issued a final rule under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) banning most asbestos-containing products in the United States. In 1991, the rule was vacated and remanded by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As a result, most of the original ban on the manufacture, importation, processing, or distribution in commerce for most of the asbestos-containing product categories originally covered in the 1989 final rule was overturned. Only the bans on corrugated paper, roll-board, commercial paper, specialty paper and flooring felt and any new uses of asbestos remained banned under the 1989 rule. Although most asbestos containing products can still legally be manufactured, imported, processed and distributed in the United States, according to the US Geological Survey, the production and use of asbestos has declined significantly.
Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals and can exacerbate asthma. However, molds are usually not a problem indoors unless mold (or mold spores) land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing.
Standards or Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for airborne concentrations of mold or mold spores have not been set. Currently there are no EPA regulations or standards for airborne mold contaminants, but there are some states that do have other regulatory and licensing requirements.
No. A Consultant who has not prepared a mold remediation protocol in advance to the project cannot authenticate clearance. In order to determine if a project has achieved clearance, the Consultant must conduct a post-remediation assessment.
The exemption only applies to persons who are not licensed to conduct mold remediation, allowing smaller projects to be handled more simply and effectively.
There are two major criteria when evaluating exposures of individual to chemical or physical agents: OSHA PEL and TLV. A PEL is the maximum concentration of a substance to which OSHA allows occupation exposure. A TLV is an ACGIH advisory value. A PEL or TLV is compared against a concentration collected over a workday — neither should be exceeded to protect the health of individuals.
This is dependent on changes in machinery, processes, employee duties, et. Most companies conduct these assessments annually or as circumstances dictate.
In keeping with the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, we conduct annual and new employee training that includes (but is not limited to) details of the hazard communication program, methods that detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals, the physical and health hazards of the chemical in the work area and procedures and personal protective equipment.
Our specialists are trained to document the main process steps, hazards and controls in operation during the event and continuously monitor employee interaction with sampling gear and check performance for data integrity during the work shift.
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