Plan being created for disposal of PCBs found in Lederle repairs

Aug. 9, 2006

Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) officials are working with state and federal agencies to develop a remediation plan to properly handle and dispose of sealants that were found to contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during a repair project on the exterior of the Lederle Graduate Research Center.

Don Robinson, director of EH&S, said samples of sealant taken from the outside of Lederle tested positive for PCBs, and environmental officials were promptly notified. The samples were taken as part of the facade repair at Lederle. At the time the building was constructed in 1971, PCBs were allowed, but in 1977 they were banned for use in the United States under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Robinson said that to prepare the exterior concrete for new waterproofing, certain exterior sections of the low-rise and high-rise were power washed and, in some areas, water infiltrated into the building. Areas where infiltration occurred were sampled for PCB residue and analyzed by Spectrum Analytical of Agawam. All of the interior samples were non-detectable for PCBs, except for one that was below the EPA cleanup standard.

He said EH&S will continue to coordinate environmental tests to ensure that there are no hazardous exposures present within the Lederle complex, and it will have any existing debris caused by the washing process cleaned up. Additionally, exterior areas where PCB contamination was identified have been cordoned off to prevent contact.

Robinson said work related to sealant removal and panel cleaning ceased July 11, and it will not resume until a detailed set of work plans can be developed that ensures that the PCBs are handled and disposed of properly. EH&S has been in close communication with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), the Massachusetts Department of Occupational Safety (DOS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). MassDEP was on site July 28, and EPA was on campus Aug. 7 to review the situation. EPA and MassDEP will need to approve all remediation plans associated with any work involving PCBs.

Robinson said the campus also plans to immediately engage the services of an outside environmental engineering firm that has an established track record in the remediation of PCB-containing building products. Additional testing will be taking place both prior to, during and following any work activity associated with the project. This will include testing within the building to essure that the outside work does not affect the building’s occupants.

August 10, 2006.