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We Partner with Schools to Provide Asbestos Remediation Services

Asbestos Services for Schools

The presence of asbestos is no walk in the park for anyone, but for schools it is an even greater burden. As with any asbestos remediation project there is a need to carefully remove the hazardous material all while protecting the surrounding environment and ensuring no asbestos fibers are released into the air.

According to the American Lung Association, “When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, tiny fibers break off and are suspended in the air. These fibers may remain airborne for long periods of time before settling in dust.”

Educational agencies are also required, under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), to inspect their school building for asbestos-containing materials, develop a plan to manage it, and then take actions to help reduce and prevent asbestos hazards. The plan they develop not only needs to be updated every three years, but it also needs to be communicated to all parents involved. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides annual funding to help schools establish and execute these plans. It also helps states maintain an asbestos accreditation and certification training program. This funding is key, as the costs for schools to develop, execute, and get ahead of asbestos remediation plans can be costly.

The EPA recently announced an award of $631,000 to five New England state agencies. Given the history in New England and its structures, asbestos is very common. The recent news article, announcing the EPA award, also articulates the notable asbestos issues found in schools throughout New England.

As a Massachusetts and Rhode Island fully-licensed asbestos contractor, we have over 25 years’ experience partnering with schools to provide asbestos-related services. Should your school be looking for assistance in 2018 to develop and execute an asbestos remediation plan, please give us a call at 866.934.2374 or e-mail [email protected].

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3 Ways to be More Environmentally Proactive

Environmental

As we can all agree, weather as we know is continually changing. Who remembers the 90-degree temperatures late last September? And just last week there was snow in Florida and New Hampshire’s Mount Washington registered as the second coldest point on the planet! This continual evolution of weather could easily be described as destabilized, and it is impacting our environment. One of the key statements to our mission is to:

Make our population safer by removing hazardous materials from indoor and outdoor sites, preserving natural resources, preventing pollution, and protecting the environment.

Too often than not, attention given to the environment is reactive as opposed to proactive. Even in our work, we offer clean-up, removal, and demolition. Although our team can certainly help with these and are experienced in this work, we are looking at 2018 with an opportunity to be just a tad more proactive. Here are 3 ways we as a community can be more environmentally proactive in 2018.

  • Plan for Asbestos Remediation | Yes, we know removing asbestos is typically a reactive activity, but there is an opportunity to be proactive in planning for and removing it in safe and effective way, as opposed to waiting until something and/or someone disturbs it and it becomes a hazard. Schools are mandated to have an asbestos removal plan in place, continuously making effort to mitigate asbestos each year and/or as resources allow. This is an initiative that can and should be adopted for commercial and residential properties where it is known or suspected that asbestos exists.
  • Prevent Mold | The key to mold prevention is moisture control and although there are numerous ways to control moisture, identifying problem areas, drying any wet areas immediately, and ensuring proper ventilation are three fundamentals. Problem areas may include a basement that floods or areas where condensation is prone such as a poorly ventilated bathroom. One way to instill the area is kept dry is to make sure that any appliances have vents to the outside, or that exhaust fans are in place and working to deplete any moisture. If vents are not prevalent, use a dehumidifier to aid in the war on moisture control.
  • Survey Demolition Sites in Advance | When it comes to interior or select demolition projects, it is wise to either conduct a survey in advance to determine what may lie hidden within the walls and/or have an environmental professional on-site during the demolition to help secure the site and identify and remediate any potentially hazardous materials should they be present.

Of course, there are so many ways to be proactive when it comes to the environment and hopefully this quick hit list might spark an idea or two for keeping the community-at-large safe from hazardous materials found within our homes, offices, or schools.

Should you need help with mold remediation, asbestos removal, and/or interior or select demolition, please contact Banner Environmental Services. We provide environmental services to all of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands.

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New England Schools Granted Funds for Asbestos Abatement

Asbestos in Schools

Asbestos is a dangerous material and exposure to it can cause serious health issues including mesothelioma cancer. Unfortunately, asbestos was used as a wide-spread construction material prior to 1980 to increase durability and fire resistance – a time when any health risk associated with the substance was unknown. Given that almost half of the schools built in the United States were built between 1950 and 1969, it’s likely that they too were constructed using asbestos. Most commonly found in ceiling tiles, floors, pipes in boiler rooms, or insulation materials, asbestos does not pose a risk if left intact and undisturbed. However, as soon as it’s disturbed, that’s when the damage occurs, exposing others to it, often unknowingly.

Sadly, there are numerous reports of preventable asbestos-related incidents that are continuing to happen in our communities, including within our schools. For example, at West Haven High School in Connecticut, the installation of new cameras entailed unlicensed and untrained workers disturbing asbestos materials and unknowingly exposing teachers, staff, and students to it. In addition to these unexpected incidents, it is important for schools to continue to work toward ridding their schools of asbestos for good. Research has shown that over time asbestos exposure becomes prevalent from damage, renovations, or demolitions.

Under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), educational agencies are required to inspect their school building for asbestos-containing materials, develop a plan to manage it (updating it very three years and letting parents know when a new plan has been adopted), and take actions that help reduce and prevent asbestos hazards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides annual funding to help schools establish and carry out these plans. It also helps states maintain an asbestos accreditation and certification training program.

The EPA recently announced an award of $631,000 to five New England state agencies. Given the history in New England and its structures, asbestos is very common. The recent news article, announcing the EPA award, also articulates the notable asbestos issues found in schools throughout New England.

When questioning if asbestos is suspected, don’t be afraid to ask for help. As an environmental services company and licensed asbestos contractor, we understand the intricacies that go along with taking steps to remediate and prevent asbestos hazards all too well. We have worked with many schools to help them execute their asbestos management plans, while maintaining a safe environment every step of the way.

A few questions schools have asked us and for you to consider:

  • When is the best time to start an asbestos remediation project?
  • How much will it cost?
  • How can we be certain the asbestos is 100% removed from the school?

If you have a question for us, just ask! We work with organizations of every size and type, and are educated and current on local, state and federal mandates, licenses, and regulations. Our corporate and government clients can feel secure, knowing that our work will ensure a safe environment throughout the entire process, and upon completion be fully compliant with OSHA and EPA requirements.

Banner Environmental Services provides service to Rhode Island, all of Massachusetts including Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. In addition to asbestos services, Banner Environmental services include interior and select demolition services, mold removal, and black and gray water clean-up.

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Recovering from Flood Damage: 3 Things You Should Know About Gray or Black Water

flood damage

The recent string of devastating natural disasters across North America had us in the environmental remediation industry thinking a lot about gray and black water. There’s many ways gray or black water can occur – but the primary cause in a residence is due to flooding from rainwater leaks, groundwater intrusion, pipe bursts, sewage back-ups, and raised rivers, lakes, and oceans due to storms and hurricanes.

It’s a topic that’s not always at the forefront of folks’ minds, but there are valuable steps that can be made when you experience gray or black water that will protect you and the rest of the world from increased pollution caused when flood waters pass through a home in the future. Here’s what you need to know:

  • What is the difference between gray and black water?

Gray water may cause a health risk since the waters may contain chemical or biological contamination. These waters include discharges from dishwashers, washing machines, sinks, showers, aquariums and waterbeds.

Black water is a definite health risk. These waters may contain multiple and potentially harmful contaminants. It includes floodwaters containing soil and any sewage waters. All raw sewage is contaminated with microbes, including bacteria, protozoans, molds, fungi and viruses, many of which are pathogenic to humans. Microbes from this source certainly cause many diseases.

If gray water is not dealt with in the first 48 hours of being in a residence, it becomes black water.

  • Gray or black water is present. Now what?

Time is of the essence. The top priority should be to dry out the property as soon as possible. If the property is dried out within 48 hours and the source of the problem has ceased, further problems are unlikely from the contaminated water.

  • What help exists for remediating?

For those in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island areas, Banner Environmental provides both black/gray water cleanup. Our team will remove and dispose of standing water and damaged porous materials, dry affected areas, then clean and sanitize building contents, structural support systems and HVAC systems. Once completed, a retest is conducted to certify the building is safe to be re-occupied.

Luckily, New England has been mostly scathed in the past year for natural disasters, but we’re still susceptible to the same things that Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico experienced early this year. Review the necessary steps for taking care of gray or black water, and when that unfortunate occurrence takes place, know the necessary actions. To read more about Banner Environmental’s gray and black water clean-up, click here.

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