EPA response to NYC regarding WTC indoor testing data, Aug

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

cleanliness of residential HVAC systems (specifically. Monitoring Contract Scope of Work, Cleaning Contract Scope of Work. AC/Ventilation System Cleaning Procedures, Exhaust System Cleaning Procedures, Guidance for Completing the Ventilation System Evaluation Form, Ventilation System Evaluation Form, and Evaluation Procedures to Determine the Presence of World Trade Center (WTO - Related Dust and Debris in Residential Ventilation Systems in Lower Manhattan. These procedures were made available to the public upon request and in most cases through our website at http .7/www. epa. gov/wteZ.

4. The enforcement measures employed by the EPA to ensure that owners of residential buildings conducted contamination assessments of their respective HVAC systems. If so, how did the EPA determine the integrity of the contamination assessments?

EPA did not employ enforcement measures to ensure that owners of residential buildings conducted contamination assessments of their HVAC systems. EPA’s Indoor Air Residential Assistance Program afforded, on a voluntaiy basis, building owners south and west of Canal, Allen and Pike Streets, river to river, the opportunity to request our assistance to evaluate and, if necessary, clean their building HVAC system.

5. The measures the EPA adopted to prevent recontamination by way of carpet removal in the apartments and common areas of residential buildings?

When residents or building owners requested carpet removal as part of the EPA Program, recontamination by way of carpet removal was prevented by wetting the carpet and then removing it prior to cleaning and/or testing the individual common areas and apartments.

6. Whether the EPA required owners of residential buildings to clean up their entire building? If not, how did owners assure the EPA that safeguards were taken against recontamination of apartments where certain apartments were thoroughly cleaned and others were not?

EPA’s program was strictly a voluntary program for occupied residential buildings and apartments south and west of Canal, Allen and Pike Streets, river to river. Those residential building owners and apartment owners/dwellers who requested assistance under EPA’s Program received our assistance accordingly. Based on the voluntary nature of the Program, EPA did not receive or request any assurances from building owners.

7. Data that the EPA has compiled from its HVAC ventilation system clean up program, as well as any related written reports.

Based on building owners’ requests, EPA evaluated 110 building HVAC systems, determined that 33 of these systems were impacted by the collapse of the World Trade Center, and cleaned 28 of these systems. Five of these impacted systems were not cleaned because the building owners decided to withdraw from EPA’s Program. The table described in #2 above specifically identifies each of these buildings. Please find enclosed all of our reports related to our work performed on HVAC systems.

NYC-WTC_000151541