Internal routing form for WTC environmental documents, date unknown

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Coordination ofExterior and Interior Building Cleanup ofResidual Debris/Dust

NYCDEP is also proceeding with the cleanup of residual dust and debris from building rooftops, facades and canopies as part of their building exterior cleanup project. This work is being done where visual WTC debris is observed and the work includes a variety of techniques to remove the dust/debris including HEPA vacuuming, wet washdown methods and careful handling of all materials for disposal as asbestos containing material. As of mid-September approximately 300 buildings were identified as requiring cleanup. NYCDEP’s contractors have completed the cleanup of 194 buildings with an additional 13 currently undergoing cleanup. Building owners have had an additional 98 building exteriors cleaned as well. This will provide further confidence that material is not available to become re-entrained in the air or to recontaminate, potentially, nearby areas. The goal is to accomplish cleanups of these building exteriors prior to doing work in the indoor environments. EPA continues to work with NYCDEP on this program, visiting work sites and staying informed of issues that arise and the status of cleanup.

Addressing Impacted Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems

HVAC system assessments and cleanliness inspections shall be conducted by qualified personnel who have an understanding of HVAC system operation and experience in using accepted indoor environmental sampling practices, current industry HVAC cleaning procedures and applicable industry standards. The HVAC system inspection contractor shall be a certified member of the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. Evaluations of building HVAC systems will be made upon request of the building owner or residents.

The building owner must authorize access for entire building evaluations. A checklist will be used in the evaluation consistent with General Specifications for the Cleaning of Commercial Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Systems and the NADA standard ACT 2002.

Where cleaning is requested for an individual residence, portions of the HVAC system dedicated to that residence will be evaluated.

Based upon recommendations of the Project Monitoring contractor’s HVAC expert, EPA will approve specific HVAC cleanup activities. If the HVAC system for an entire building requires cleaning, a separate, site specific contract will be awarded by the NYC DEP for this work. If only a portion of the HVAC system needs cleaning, the Cleaning contractor will conduct the cleaning utilizing specialized labor, trained and experienced in duct cleaning. For each residential space to be cleaned, the intake and discharge registers of the HVAC system (if there is one) will be removed and cleaned. The first foot of duct work will also be vacuumed as this is readily accessible from the residential space and will eliminate any dust that may have accumulated in this area. Then the register will be reinstalled and covered with polyethylene sheeting for the duration of the remaining cleanup.

Consistency ofCurrent Program with Existing Laws

NYC-WTC_000151600