Oct. 6, 2007
Kudos for Environmental Care in Emmons Demolition
Tear Down Comes Only After Asbestos Abatement; Air Quality Meters Measure Dust
Master Mechanical Insulation's Rick Mechstroth and TRIAD Environmental Consulting's Galligan,
(in BG,) Monitor Air Quality
By Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Before the crane with the wrecking ball bashed the Emmons Senior apartment building, (Junior is next on the demolition list), intensive planning for minimizing impact on air quality during the process was implemented.
As bricks,iron, concrete and wood crashed down, one or two thick fire hoses continually blasted 250 gallons of water a minute each on the ruins-in-the-making.
Prior to bringing in the crane and excavator, both structures had to be inspected for environmental hazards.
During the demolition, Brian E. Galligan, president of TRIAD Environmental Consulting, Inc., supervised air-quality monitors that measured for particulate matter and other potentially dangerous levels of material such as lead, dust or any remaining asbestos that might have been missed or inaccessible earlier, and become friable during the knock-down process.
Friday afternoon, HNN caught up with Jeff Hedgecock, a West Virginia EPA air quality inspector at the scene. “We mainly wanted to stop and see that we did not have an issue with dust,” Hedgecock said. “They have four-inch water lines coming off a hydrant and 250 gallons a minute of water. They are doing air monitoring in four different quadrants to make sure we do not have dust issues with neighbors,” Hedgecock explained.
“Federal law requires commercial building inspections prior to demolition. These buildings were inspected; there was asbestos in the buildings… it has been removed,” Hedgecock said.
In fact, the inspector indicated that asbestos abatement personnel remain on the site “as we speak,” as a precaution. “Sometimes they can not get to certain areas and something was missed; they are here to ensure that the material,(if any was found,) is safely taken care of.”
Immediately following the January 13, 2007 fire at the gutted Emmons Junior complex, both the city engineer and contractors thought they might have weakness of structural steel necessitating an emergency demolition for safety. But, contractors would have still had to perform asbestos abatement on the building
The ten-day waiting period required by federal law would have been waived in that case.
“I did not see a problem with granting the waiver since a part of the back of the structure was deemed unsafe. They want to get it down ASAP,” Hedgecock explained.
Eventually, due to investigations of the cause of the fire, portions of the Junior structure were shored up. “The ten days did not come into play. They waited ten days, put in the paperwork and went about a normal process.”
Hedgecock walked through the gutted Emmons Junior prior to abatement. He observed “mainly charred walls and ceilings” nearly all the way through. “I saw some [portions[ that was not [charred] but it had a lot of fire damage.” He said that the abatement clean-up consisted mainly of asbestos floor tile, pipe insulation and boiler insulation.
Although he did not inspect the buildings after abatement, “we saw no problems and we did not have any complaints. We do not make it to every abatement in the state," he said.
The inspector complemented the demolition crew, which happens to be the same group that took down the 20th Street Baptist Church for Marshall University expansion. “We did not have any problems there, (either,)” he said.
From the air quality standpoint, Hedgecock complimented the workers for “doing a real good job” on the project, adding that “so far things look really nice.”
Third Avenue is blocked between 12th and 13th Streets for the duration, but business such as Applebee’s continue full operations, despite the leveling of half a city block nearby.
Kudos for Environmental Care in Emmons Demolition
Tear Down Comes Only After Asbestos Abatement; Air Quality Meters Measure Dust
Master Mechanical Insulation's Rick Mechstroth and TRIAD Environmental Consulting's Galligan,
(in BG,) Monitor Air Quality
By Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Before the crane with the wrecking ball bashed the Emmons Senior apartment building, (Junior is next on the demolition list), intensive planning for minimizing impact on air quality during the process was implemented.
As bricks,iron, concrete and wood crashed down, one or two thick fire hoses continually blasted 250 gallons of water a minute each on the ruins-in-the-making.
Prior to bringing in the crane and excavator, both structures had to be inspected for environmental hazards.
During the demolition, Brian E. Galligan, president of TRIAD Environmental Consulting, Inc., supervised air-quality monitors that measured for particulate matter and other potentially dangerous levels of material such as lead, dust or any remaining asbestos that might have been missed or inaccessible earlier, and become friable during the knock-down process.
Friday afternoon, HNN caught up with Jeff Hedgecock, a West Virginia EPA air quality inspector at the scene. “We mainly wanted to stop and see that we did not have an issue with dust,” Hedgecock said. “They have four-inch water lines coming off a hydrant and 250 gallons a minute of water. They are doing air monitoring in four different quadrants to make sure we do not have dust issues with neighbors,” Hedgecock explained.
“Federal law requires commercial building inspections prior to demolition. These buildings were inspected; there was asbestos in the buildings… it has been removed,” Hedgecock said.
In fact, the inspector indicated that asbestos abatement personnel remain on the site “as we speak,” as a precaution. “Sometimes they can not get to certain areas and something was missed; they are here to ensure that the material,(if any was found,) is safely taken care of.”
Immediately following the January 13, 2007 fire at the gutted Emmons Junior complex, both the city engineer and contractors thought they might have weakness of structural steel necessitating an emergency demolition for safety. But, contractors would have still had to perform asbestos abatement on the building
The ten-day waiting period required by federal law would have been waived in that case.
“I did not see a problem with granting the waiver since a part of the back of the structure was deemed unsafe. They want to get it down ASAP,” Hedgecock explained.
Eventually, due to investigations of the cause of the fire, portions of the Junior structure were shored up. “The ten days did not come into play. They waited ten days, put in the paperwork and went about a normal process.”
Hedgecock walked through the gutted Emmons Junior prior to abatement. He observed “mainly charred walls and ceilings” nearly all the way through. “I saw some [portions[ that was not [charred] but it had a lot of fire damage.” He said that the abatement clean-up consisted mainly of asbestos floor tile, pipe insulation and boiler insulation.
Although he did not inspect the buildings after abatement, “we saw no problems and we did not have any complaints. We do not make it to every abatement in the state," he said.
The inspector complemented the demolition crew, which happens to be the same group that took down the 20th Street Baptist Church for Marshall University expansion. “We did not have any problems there, (either,)” he said.
From the air quality standpoint, Hedgecock complimented the workers for “doing a real good job” on the project, adding that “so far things look really nice.”
Third Avenue is blocked between 12th and 13th Streets for the duration, but business such as Applebee’s continue full operations, despite the leveling of half a city block nearby.
