PCB Remediation at Lakes Regional high school in maine
Lakes Regional High School in Naples Maine was undergoing a major window replacement project where high levels of PCBs were found in the window caulking, adjacent masonry and soil. Caulking and adjacent masonry needed to be removed under controlled conditions, with customized full containments constructed under negative air pressure. The site characterization revealed the presence of mainly two types of PCB containing caulking on the exterior of the windows and doors at the school. One was an intact, soft, gray caulking with concentrations between 37,000 and 46,000 ppm and the second was an intact, hard, brown caulking with concentrations of 900 ppm. As a result of these findings, Dec-Tam was retained to remove and dispose of exterior asbestos containing “transite” panels associated with the windows, all affected caulking and adjacent:
- brick
- grout
- wood window components
- overhead door brick molding
- louver frames
All building materials were removed within containment to 7 inches from caulking locations where PCB concentration levels were reduced to levels < 1ppm. Additionally, asphalt pavement and soil 24 inches deep and 24 inches away from the building were removed.
Some noteworthy aspects of this project were:
- An exterior customized containment system unit was fabricated at the site that was able to be moved to other window units to increase project efficiency.
- After the exposed surfaces were deemed cleaned, Dec-Tam installed temporary framing and structural supports for temporary weather protection prior to final installation of new window units.
- The soil was excavated and directly loaded into the lined containers without contaminating adjacent areas.
- Once the soil remediation was completed, Dec-Tam back-filled all trenches with the appropriate fill.
- The project was performed in multiple phases while the school was in session with all activities coordinated with school officials and the General Contractor.
Andy Madura, Director of Transportation, Facilities & Food Services SAD #61 had this to say about the project. "We were very impressed with DEC-TAM. Their staff was very professional and did an excellence job for us. Working while students were in the building caused quite a challenge, but DEC-TAM stepped up and did their work with little to no interruptions for staff and students."
