You may have wondered why the building has been wrapped in white plastic and we’re here to explain the old Rainier Brewery PCB removal project.
What are PCBs?
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly carcinogenic chemical compounds. The U.S. banned them from production in 1976. They are one of the classes of what’s commonly known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) or otherwise called forever chemicals.
The main reason they are so dangerous is that once you have been exposed to them, they are absorbed into your body and do not break down over time. Repeated exposure means levels build up to increase the chance of health issues.
PCBs at unsafe levels
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collected indoor air and dust samples from June through September of 2010 from residential, office, storage, and warehouse areas. The air results showed no PCBs while dust results showed low levels of PCBs. This means it would be difficult for people to breathe or touch enough to cause health problems.
The problem is that paint with PCBs above regulatory limits was found in some of the areas on the exterior of the building. The greatest risk of exposure for tenants comes from tracking PCBs from the outside of the building to the inside.
Work plan for removal.
This project has been in the works for many years. In fact, the general work plan to remove the PCBs was written in 2013 and approved by the EPA in December of that year. The EPA is working with the Washington Department of Ecology, King County and Seattle Public Utilities.
The building was wrapped in white plastic to contain the PCB’s while crews remove paint from the exterior. The EPA is requiring that all the paint be moved from the entire building and be disposed of properly so it cannot cause further contamination.
To date, they have worked through three phases of this elaborate plan. They evaluate the effectiveness of the removal and protective measures both during and at the end of each phase.
K & D removing HVAC equipment
We’re working with the owners of the Rainer building during this process, which will take some time as it’s being worked on in sections.
Our staff has been contracted to remove and store all the HVAC equipment so they can perform their work. In addition, we cap off and make safe any fresh air intakes etc. while they are working.
PCB removal is a lengthy process.
Once a section has been completed, our staff comes back to reinstall the HVAC equipment and open up all air intakes. As you can imagine, this is a lengthy process and one that cannot be rushed.
Removal of PCBs must be done carefully to ensure all contaminants are gone and that the crew doing the work is not being exposed to unhealthy conditions.
Rainier Brewery PCB removal
There is not a definite end date though this post will be updated as the project continues. Hopefully, the old Rainer Brewery PCB removal will be completed soon.
Contact K & D Mechanical, Inc. for your commercial HVAC needs.
