Memorandum
Date: March 20, 2020
To: Kenneth F. Rose, Director
From: LiRo Engineers, Inc.
Subject: Former Beech-Nut Plant Environmental Cleaning Engineering Controls
This memo is provided to address the concerns raised by citizens related to the vents exhausting air from the buildings and the potential for air pollution and contamination. The asbestos abatement work and environmental cleaning being performed by the Contractor is being conducted in accordance with all environmental regulations including New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) Industrial Code Rule 56 (ICR 6) which regulates Asbestos abatement projects. The work of the contractor is being monitored daily by both LiRo and an independent third party air monitoring firm Atlantic Testing Laborites (ATL). All companies associated with this project are NYSDOL licensed asbestos abatement contractors.
The negative air duct work the residents see exhausting air from the building are part of the negative pressure enclosure, required by regulations, as part of the abatement work. In accordance with regulations, the area being abated is placed under a negative pressure by utilizing a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtered negative exhaust machine. The negative pressure draws air from outside the enclosure into the enclosure through a decontamination unit which prevents the internal air from escaping the enclosure. The air drawn into the enclosure is processed through a HEPA filtration system to remove air contaminants prior to exhausting the air to the outside. Air monitoring is conducted at each negative air exhaust location to evaluate the cleanliness of the discharged air. Air samples collected at the exhaust ducts are sent for laboratory analysis on a daily basis to verify that there are no releases to the environment. Attached please find a diagram which demonstrates the engineering controls implemented to prevent the release of contaminants from the work area and protect the public.
The exhaust duct sampling conducted on this project have all been below regulatory guidance criteria demonstrating that no releases have occurred.
