DEP letter to FEMA, 93 Nassau Street, Nov 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

New York City Department of Environmental Protection

Location: 93 Nassau Street, Manhattan Building extends the length of Nassau Street from Fulton Street to Ann Street

Building Size: Approximately 120 ft. x 100 ft. The building is eleven stories with an extension at Ann Street to twelve stories.

Landmark Status: Landmark

Description: Building is constructed of brick and has a cast iron facade with galvanized sheet metal ornamentation. It was designed by Arthur D. Gilman and was constructed in 1872.

Concerns: Clean-up activities to remove debris from the collapse of the WTC would impact current building systems. The activities required for proper cleaning of the building are beyond the scope of work developed for the exterior cleaning program.

Building has approximately 400 painted wood frame windows that are damaged, cracked and do not seal properly when closed.

The facades appear to require restoration, the paint condition is peeling and flaking. Analytical results submitted by the owner indicate the peeling paint is lead-based paint (LBP).

Water tables and ornamentation have evidence of damage from previous hanging of scaffolding. Water tables protrude from the windows making sealing and containment around hanging scaffolding infeasible.

The scope of work developed for the cleaning of the exterior facades and roofs requires the HEPA-vacuuming and low-pressure washing to remove visible debris from collapse of the WTC. HEPA-vacuuming and low-pressure washing would remove sections of the current paint system that are deteriorated. LBP must be contained and collected. The contractor must provide workers trained in the handling of LBP and be aware of the hazards associated with LBP work. Inadequate seals around windows require steps to prevent entry of materials and water to the building's interior. Further, the architecture of the building limits scaffolding options as evidenced by the previous damage to the water tables and ornamentation during previous work in which hanging scaffolding was used.

A containment system to prevent the spread of WTC debris and lead-based paint from the facades would require the installation of a sidewalk shed and a full pipe scaffolding system.

Retail stores on all sides of the building will be impacted by the work.

Additional Comments: At the request of DEP, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee (LPC) performed a joint inspection with our staff. LPC has requested that any work to be undertaken on this building initially undergo a "test patch". Therefore, the LPC will have someone present during the initial start up of work.

NYC-WTC 000099159