District of Columbia Housing Authority Lead-based Paint Services

Arc Environmental was retained by the Prime General Contractor to provide hazardous material surveys of 210 residential row houses and Phase II subsurface investigation of an approximately five square block project area in West Baltimore. The assessments were conducted to comply with Baltimore City, Maryland Department of the Environment, and EPA requirements for building razing and re-development of the Site which is the location for the Coppin State University Science and Technology Center. Due to a compressed construction schedule for the project, the period of performance for completing these investigations was three weeks. Arc Environmental managed a field crew of 12 building inspectors, a three-man drilling crew, and four environmental scientists to complete the Site investigations within the required time frame. Several mobilizations were required due to pending condemnation notices, property transactions, and approval for access by Baltimore City; the cost of the additional mobilizations was off-set by not sampling of structurally unsound buildings to minimize cost impacts to the GC.

The hazardous material surveys consisted of identification and sampling of suspect asbestos-containing building materials (ACBMs) and lead-based paint (LBP), and performance of visual inspections for Universal Wastes, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and mercury-containing components. The survey included the identification and sampling of suspect interior and exterior building materials, including roofing materials, for asbestos content. Additionally, selective demolition was conducted to access attic spaces and wall cavities to determine if suspected ACBMs were presentAn asbestos-containing materials inventory table was provided for each property in the final report; the table included the material description, location, and estimated quantity of each identified ACBM. A cost estimate for abatement was generated for the Site and abatement/demolition specifications were developed by an accredited Project Designer.

The LBP surveys were conducted using portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) devices. On-site testing revealed the presence of lead-based paint on various components throughout the study area. Per the University’s requirement, samples of the painted components that tested positive for lead were sampled and analyzed for Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) lead to determine if the lead would leach from the painted components. All TCLP sample results were determined to be below the threshold for hazardous waste, indicating that all demolition waste generated from the Site could be disposed of as regular construction debris.

A thorough inspection of each building was conducted to identify Federal and state designated Universal Wastes and other potential regulated and hazardous wastes. Wastes identified included cathode ray tube-containing equipment, Freon-containing equipment, mercury-containing devices, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing equipment, equipment containing radioactive material, flammable liquids, compressed gas cylinders, automotive fluids, batteries, tars, paints, and solvents. An inventory was created based on the visual inspections and utilized as part of the bid solicitation for remediation and abatement contractors.

A Phase II subsurface investigation was completed for the Site to investigate Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) such as former dry-cleaners, auto repair garages, and a gasoline station. The Phase II included installation of 25 soil borings, six of which were completed as temporary groundwater monitoring wells, and laboratory analysis of soil and groundwater samples collected from the study area. Results of the investigation identified petroleum contaminants in soils and groundwater in the area of the former gasoline station, which enabled our Client to plan for additional soil excavation and disposal during the demolition phase of the project.