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August 16, 2019
16 Aug 2019

Join Omega and Orange County’s Commercial Real Estate Power Women

Orange County’s women of influence in commercial real estate, property management, local government, higher education, law, and business will share success stories and offer guidance to help pave the path for other women at Bisnow’s upcoming “Orange County Power Women” conference, the first in a series planned by the commercial real estate networking organization.

The Aug. 21 event in Irvine, Calif. will include recognition for 20 women designated as industry role models, including Orange County Board of Supervisors Chair Lisa Bartlett, Trammell Crow Residential CFO Sue O’Bannon, The Koll Company’s Director of Operations Bianca Curtis, and real estate and environmental attorney Pam Andes, among a group that also includes property managers and other real estate executives.

The event, at the Irvine Marriott, will include a panel on the “future of women in business and commercial real estate,” as well as an award ceremony.

Best Business Practices for Construction, Demolition and Renovations

We hope to see you there. As an environmental partner with comprehensive experience in environmental assessment and remediation for commercial construction, demolition and renovation, Omega Environmental provides the commercial real estate industry throughout Southern California and beyond with a strong defense against costly surprises.

Undetected environmental problems like asbestos, lead, PCBs, moisture and mold are budget and deadline-wrecking problems for commercial development. A thorough environmental assessment saves time, money and compliance worries by ensuring that any issues are managed in the most effective and efficient way.

That’s one reason most lenders will require a Phase 1 assessment to research a property’s environmental history before loaning money on a project. Depending on the results, a Phase 2 assessment may be required, including soil and groundwater testing. A Phase 3 assessment provides additional scope and the development of a mitigation plan.

Reliable Environmental Assessment and Remediation for Commercial Construction and Demolition

Omega Environmental Services has a rare combination of expertise in all levels of environmental assessments and mitigation. Find us at the conference to learn more about what a reliable, cost-effective environmental assessment and remediation partner can do for your next project.

With 25 years’ experience in environmental assessment, consulting and mitigation, Omega can help you comply with all government requirements for hazardous materials, as well as managing issues related to groundwater, soil or indoor air contamination, moisture intrusion, asbestos, lead, PCBs, mold and other hazardous materials.

Find us at the conference, give us a call or click on the link below to learn what you can do now to protect your investment and avoid budget-busting surprises.

Contact Us to Learn More About Environmental Assessment

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July 31, 2019
31 Jul 2019

Four Key Changes to the OSHA Beryllium Standard

With both long and short-term exposure limits reduced under new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, practice controls and plans for those who work with beryllium-containing products may need updating in order to ensure worker safety and OSHA compliance.

A lightweight but extremely strong metal, beryllium and its related compounds are often found in construction materials as insulation for electric wiring and in products made of ceramic or copper. As an insulation material, beryllium has come to replace polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as the material of choice because it is deemed less harmful to human health and the environment, but it is still highly toxic.

When inhaled, beryllium can cause lung damage and lead to diseases such as pneumonia, lung cancer and chronic beryllium disease (CBD). CBD is a life-threatening pulmonary disease that workers can develop following exposure to beryllium at levels below permissible exposure limits. Workers can also be at risk from skin exposure to airborne beryllium or materials that contain beryllium.

New OSHA Beryllium Standard Designed to Save Lives

In December 2018, OSHA began enforcing its stricter standards for beryllium exposure in industrial settings, including construction. The new standards, which reduce both long-term and short-term exposure limits, are expected to prevent as many as 90 deaths from beryllium-related diseases, including lung cancer, and prevent 46 new cases of chronic beryllium disease (CBD) each year.

So what do property managers and other construction stakeholders need to know about OSHA’s new beryllium standard? Here are four key takeaways.

1. Long-Term Exposure Limits Have Decreased

OSHA’s new rule “reduces the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for beryllium to 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over 8-hours.” Employers must use engineering and work practice controls to prevent beryllium from becoming airborne where workers can breathe it in.”

2. Short-term Exposure Limits Have Also Decreased

The rule also “establishes a new short term exposure limit for beryllium of 2.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air, over a 15-minute sampling period.” Even in workplaces where beryllium exposure is minimal and where workers are exposed in small increments, changes in scheduling and other work practice controls may be necessary to meet OSHA’s new standard.

3. Employers May Have to Update or Adopt New Work Practice Controls & Plans

The rule requires employers to utilize engineering controls and best workplace practices to prevent worker exposure to beryllium. These measures include ventilation or enclosure of work spaces, the provision of personal protective equipment such as respirators, the development of a written exposure control plan, and training on the hazards of working with beryllium.

4. Employers May Have to Adopt a New Employee Medical Benefits Policy

The rule requires employers to provide routine medical examinations and proper healthcare surveillance to beryllium-exposed workers, and to provide medical removal protection healthcare benefits for those diagnosed with a disease related to beryllium exposure.

Not Sure How to Address OSHA’s New Beryllium Standard?

Omega Environmental Services can help you expedite the development of new work practice controls, including worker scheduling, to reduce exposure in projects where workers may come into contact with beryllium. We can also help you address other regulatory concerns and ensure you are in compliance.  Contact us to get started today.

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February 4, 2019
04 Feb 2019

Wildfire Aftereffects Among Topics Facing California Risk Managers

Wildfire Aftereffects Among Topics Facing California Risk Managers

As California agencies begin the cleanup process after a devastating season of wildfires, the challenges are immense.

Debris removal from the Camp Fire alone is expected to take a year, in what has been described as the “biggest wildfire cleanup job in history” – an effort the state’s emergency services director called “herculean.”

There are more than 18,000 structures and more than 8 million tons of concrete, metal, ash and contaminated soil that have to be removed, according to news reports.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has estimated that the Camp, Woolsey and Hill fires left behind more than 15 million tons of debris – including a wide variety of toxic substances.

The rainy season will bring additional challenges to the job, requiring steps to ensure that contaminated soil doesn’t spread into other areas or waterways.

It’s a topic that California’s public risk management officials have dealt with before, but are now confronting at an unprecedented scope.

At the Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA) 2019 Conference and Expo in Anaheim February 10-13, the discussion around assessing wildfire impact and secondary environmental issues will be far from hypothetical.

Dealing with the Stew of Toxic Chemicals Left Behind

While wildfire cleanup is always as much about risk prevention as much as it is about restoration, at the scale that California is facing, the potential for a secondary catastrophe looms over everyone involved in the current effort.

Among the toxic chemicals that may be left behind, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control cites “radioactive isotopes from burned up antique crockware, cupboards of incinerated household cleaners and asbestos from old siding” according to a Nov. 29, 2018 New York Times report.

Join Omega at Public Agency Risk Management Conference

“Assessing Wildfire Impacts – It’s More than the Heat” is among dozens of information sessions at the conference.  Attendees can also stop by Booth 132 to meet with members of the Omega Environmental team and learn more about wildfire assessment and remediation services.

We have decades of experience managing the environmental issues that follow in the wake of wildfire, along with assessment, abatement and consulting services for managing asbestos, lead, mold and PCB contamination, among other hazardous materials.

We partner with government agencies, property management companies, environmental engineering firms, general contractors and insurance brokers for reliable, compliant and cost-effective management of environmental contamination and hazards.

Contact us to learn more about environmental assessments

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January 9, 2019
09 Jan 2019

Los Angeles Hotel Rich in History Tackles Remediation with Omega’s Help

Los Angeles Hotel Rich in History Tackles Remediation with Omega's HelpThe remodeling of L.A.’s Hotel Figueroa, a deteriorating 1920’s era landmark in the city’s newly thriving downtown, revived a rich backstory of 1920s-era women, newly enfranchised and making their way in the world.

Built in 1926 by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), and managed by a “first of her kind” female general manager whose portrait now hangs in the check-in area, the hotel was originally a Spanish Colonial-style inn dedicated to providing a safe space for female travelers and professionals. According to the Los Angeles Times, the hotel was, at the time, “the largest project of its kind in the United States to be financed, owned, and operated by women” – a substantial feat considering women had won the right to vote only six years prior. According to the hotel’s website, the hotel was women-only for its first two years.

But the restoration of this iconic structure required dealing with the less celebratory historical legacy of 1920s-era construction, which made liberal use of materials now known to be hazardous.

Reviving a Vivid Historical Era – Minus the Asbestos and Lead

Known for its incredible versatility and heat resistance, asbestos was favored in the 19th and early 20th centuries for everything from insulation to pipelines and other building materials. Lead, also a common household and commercial material, was used for things like paint and gasoline.

A year after Hotel Figueroa was erected, the first official workers’ compensation claim for asbestos-related disease in the U.S. was filed, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. At the same time, many developed countries such as Australia and Sweden passed lead paint prevention acts, but the United States was not among them. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that national asbestos and lead regulations were enacted.

In 2014, Hotel Figueroa’s new owners undertook a multi-million-dollar renovation. The new owners envisioned a luxury hotel with some of the original 1920s flair. Their initial plan was to remodel certain parts of the hotel, but after Omega conducted a hazardous materials assessment of the property, it was determined that major components and areas of the building required remediation. This entailed a full demolition of the interior – a project that took nearly two years to complete.

Because the hotel is a protected historical landmark, significant portions of the hotel’s original structure had to remain intact. This added to the challenge of remodeling a building that already had unreliable elevators and other safety concerns.

To facilitate the asbestos and lead remediation process, an exterior elevator was installed to move securely between the 14 floors. Some of the ductwork in the building had to be removed to work around the mechanical system, and gaping holes in the floors had to be covered to ensure worker safety. Omega engineered solutions that allowed remediation to proceed safely and effectively.

Assessing, Remediating and Remodeling in Partnership

Property managers and general contractors understand that environmental assessment and remediation are necessary steps in the remodeling process, both to safeguard the environment and the health of the occupants as well as to ensure regulatory compliance. Omega Environmental is a trusted partner in this effort, as much for our broad experience with landmark renovation projects as for our deep expertise in environmental assessment and remediation. We have decades of experience and Ph.D. level expertise in managing the process of lead and asbestos remediation – along with remediation for other hazardous materials – safely, efficiently and cost effectively.

Contact us to earn more about best practices for environmental remediation in historical renovation.

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July 18, 2017
18 Jul 2017

Vapor Intrusion: A hidden risk for new developments

VAPOR INTRUSION: A hidden risk for new developments

Vapor Intrusion: A hidden risk for new developmentsDevelopment stakeholders have an array of risks to consider when constructing each new property or redevelopment of existing properties: placement of utility lines, safety compliance, the storage of hazardous materials, dry cleaning operations, industrial facilities, and manufacturing for example. But there is another invisible risk beneath a property’s surface that could degrade the quality of your building, property and indoor environment, before it’s even finished: vapor intrusion, a problem that often goes unnoticed to building occupants.

A site assessment is necessary to determine just how invasive these intrusive vapors will be in your building.

Consider Vapor Intrusion Assessment for Your Property

Vapor intrusion occurs when there is a migration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or chemicals from a subsurface source (i.e., contaminated groundwater or soil) into an overlying building’s indoor air. Vapors in soil gas enter buildings through:

  • cracks in the foundation
  • openings for utility lines, plumbing and other conduits, such as electrical outlets

Examples of volatile and semi-volatile chemicals include de-greasers, dry-cleaning solvents, gasoline and petroleum (including benzene), naphthalene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and certain pesticides. In late 2016, the EPA began risk evaluation of many chemicals associated with vapor intrusion.

In extreme cases, the vapors may accumulate into dwellings or occupied commercial and industrial buildings to airborne concentrations that may pose:

  • Near-term safety hazards (e.g., explosion)
  • Acute and adverse health effects

 

In buildings with lower concentrations of vapor-forming chemicals arising from vapor intrusion, the main concern is whether the chemicals may pose an unacceptable risk of health effects due to long-term (i.e., chronic) exposure.

So how do you know vapor intrusion should be investigated on your property/development? In the EPA’s terms, vapor intrusion is a potential concern at any building–existing or planned-building located near soil or groundwater that is contaminated with VOCs. This includes contaminated sites located within the near vicinity of your property. In general, sites most commonly contaminated with VOCs in the commercial and industrial areas may include the current or former businesses of following nature:

  • Manufacturing plants
  • Chemical processing plants
  • Landfills
  • Warehouses
  • Train yards
  • Dry cleaners
  • Gas stations
  • Coal gasification plants
  • Printers
  • Automobile repair shops
  • Any site where USTs (underground storage tanks) are leaking

Courtesy of MASSDep – This illustration portrays the potential for vapor intrusion on differing types of properties.

Developers and Property owners should also keep in mind that vacant properties may contain VOC contamination. As you can see in the illustration above, wind effects, groundwater flow, and stack effects (pressure differences inside and outside a building caused by differences in indoor and outdoor temperatures) are all factors when assessing vapor intrusion.

The EPA recommends that if vapor intrusion is a concern on your property, a risk assessment by qualified personnel is necessary to evaluate the degree of risk to future building occupants. If you are not sure based solely on the property’s location or current state whether a risk assessment should be conducted then it I necessary to research the history of the property, surrounding properties, site geology and hydrogeology, among other site characteristics, before beginning sampling and analysis.

Sampling and Analysis of Vapor Intrusion

Until fairly recently, there wasn’t much reason to believe vapor intrusion was anything more than an indoor air issue that could be assessed through indoor air sampling. In past years, many environmental consultants and services providers did not account for potential vapor intrusion impacts in Phase 1 site assessments. Omega principals know from decades of experience that vapor intrusion is a holistic environmental issue requiring multiple lines of evidence to form the most accurate site characterization and the best solution for mitigation. The initial step in creating a vapor intrusion mitigation plan is forming a conceptual site model, but first, sampling and analysis will be necessary through a combination of the following methods:

  1. Characterize the nature and extent of subsurface vapor sources using:
    1. Indoor Air Sampling
    2. Sub-Slab Soil Gas Sampling
    3. Soil Gas Sampling
  2. Compare sample concentrations to health-based screening levels
  3. Conduct and interpret human health risk assessment:
  • Perform indoor air risk analysis (modeling indoor-air risks using modified Johnson and Ettinger model for soil-gas and groundwater) to evaluate the potential for vapor intrusion.
  1. Evaluate the vapor intrusion modeling results to determine whether the concentrations of VOCs detected in the soil vapor samples at the site present any potential unacceptable health risks to the workers/tenants inside the building.

 

If you think your property may be at risk for vapor intrusion or other subsurface contamination, Omega can help you characterize the issue and form a cost-effective mitigation plan. Please call us at (949) 252-2145 for more information.

Omega Environmental Services, Inc. has qualified and certified professionals (Certified Industrial Hygienists, Professional Engineers, Hydrologists, Geologists, Certified Asbestos Consultants, Certified Lead Professionals, Toxicologists) that have the expertise to assist businesses in assessing and managing hazardous materials and facilitating construction.

Sources and Further Reading on Vapor Intrusion

 

 

Contact us for more about our vapor intrusion testing

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September 21, 2016
21 Sep 2016

Is Moisture in Your Building Costing You? Here’s What To Do

When Should I Moisture Test?

Typically, moisture testing is necessary when there is a potential water intrusion event. In new construction concrete floors will release moisture into the building during the normal concrete curing process. Depending on the type of mixture, some curing times can exceed 30 days! As a precautionary measure, it is prudent to measure the moisture content prior to completing the finishes to eliminate the possibility of impacting other building materials with moisture resulting in mold growth.

Moisture Testing in Concrete & Other Building Materials

It is important to test for excessive moisture in an indoor environment in an effort to minimize the potential for building material damage and the proliferation of microbial growth. Excessive moisture can accumulate from many different water sources in a building, including but not excluded to:

  • Faulty fire sprinklers
  • Bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other rooms where moisture collects (condensation as a lack of proper ventilation)
  • Leaks in water transport mechanisms, such as kitchen pipes and other plumbing
  • Other indoor and outdoor sources of humidity and sewer water and water transport
  • Faulty vapor barriers on concrete subfloors

During the construction process testing for moisture in concrete slabs, otherwise known as moisture vapor emission testing, makes sense and should be performed on concrete even if flooring conditions appear to be normal. Concrete slabs should be tested regardless of age or grade level, whether it’s on grade, above grade, or below grade. From the penthouse of a building to the basement, the concrete should be tested.  Proper moisture testing of the slab will determine the moisture content and potential emissions into a building space. The findings could reveal subfloor conditions that allow you to source the correct type of floor covering that is needed. This will help you avoid future issues such as delamination of VFT or sheets and more importantly, mold growth on carpet padding and carpeting.

Two common methods for testing can provide valuable information and understanding of the slabs moisture condition.

  • The American Society of Testing and Methods (ASTM) Standard ASTM F 2170, which is a standard test for measuring the relative humidity in concrete floor slabs using In Situ probes.
  • The other test is ASTM F 1869, the standard test method for measuring vapor emission rate of concrete slabs using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride, which measures the vapor emission at the surface.

Omega Environmental Services, Inc. has qualified and certified professionals (Certified Industrial Hygienists, Professional Engineers, Geologists, Certified Asbestos Consultants, Certified Lead Professionals, Toxicologists) that have the expertise to assist businesses in assessing and managing their hazardous materials.

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