EPA program revisions and coordination memo, July 2003

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

were taken from wind braces and girders that were suspected to contain asbestos. The samples were split samples with Bovis’s asbestos abatement contractor. Results of the contractor samples are not yet available.

The situation reports also noted the presences of asbestos-containing material and the operation of another abatement project in April 2002. According to the April 5, 2002, Situation Report, bulk testing showed that one sample of the pipe wrap that was being removed as part of this abatement contained 66 percent amosite asbestos.

Removal of Debris From Site

In an effort to minimize potential exposine to dust from the transportation of WTC to the Fresh Kills Landfill, City, State and Federal agencies;? ineludine the EPA-established procedures for vehicles transporting this debris. These procedures required among other measures that tarps be placed over the vehicles and that the vehicles be wet down at a wet down station. The wet down station was operated by contractors of the EPA. The volume of truck traffic during the peak period was very large amounting to over 1000 trucks per day thus presenting a challenge to insure that the procedures worked properly. In addition, the weather conditions, particularly in the winter and the high temperature of some of the debris also presented challenges to overcome in insuring the process worked properly. Particularly in the weeks immediately following the disaster, trucks hauling debris from the site did not consistently stop to be wetted down before leaving the site. This problem was recognized by the City and the City instituted measui-es to enhance compliance. City agencies around October 12, 2001, began issuing summonses for failure to stop to be wet down. As many as 300 summonses were issued by the City, on October 12, 2001. The City also enlisted the assistance of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police, assisted by the National Guard, to enforce the requirement to stop at the wet down stations. As a result, assistance was obtained from the New York Police Department to ensure that trucks stopped at the wash stations-before leaving the she? Even after this, trucks with extremely hot debrisgetting Police Department assistance to ensure that trucks stopped at the washing station^ EPA Situation Reports-indicated-that-the-trucks-were^ not stopping long enough to get completely wetted down. EPA Situation Reports indicated that as late as October 13, 2001, this was still a problem. However, by the end of October 2001 to the beginning of November 2001, the problem was solved and almost 100% of the trucks were stopping at the wet down stations for a proper wet down. This success can be attributed to the cooperation of the City, State and Federal agencies and to the capability of the EPA contractor in dealing with various technical problems.

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