Ready to demolish a building Ready to demolish a building? For safety’s sake, take out hazardous wastes first! START by using this brief tutorial to find what you need on this web site

Prior to Demolition… One Needs to Seek Out Hazardous Materials To ensure worker and occupant safety To comply with local, state, and federal regulations To avoid future liability To protect the environment

What are the environmental impacts we are trying to avoid? There are chemicals and materials that MUST stay out of standard landfills To avoid chemical reactions or explosions in the landfills To avoid future leaching of these or other chemicals from the landfills To comply with state and federal laws

What are the environmental impacts we are trying to avoid? Further, if not first removed from the jobsite, hazardous materials, pieces and particles can be released during demolition onto the ground and mobilized by wind or storm runoff When it rains, stormwater flows to the local creek and then to San Francisco Bay There are chemicals and materials that need to stay out off of the land and out of the waterways

Building owners, managers, contractors, and DIYers need to know: Where to find these materials How to identify them Possible hazards to building occupants, demolition staff, and the environment Possible liabilities if ignored What to do with these materials when they find them HOWEVER… the correct answer varies WIDELY from one hazardous material to the next!

Thus a brochure and web page were developed to lead to the answers

Many reviewers have assisted in assuring the accuracy of the information:

First, you can use the brochure as a quick checklist to remind yourself and others of the hazards you should be looking for:

To help speed up the inspection, the checklist has been split into two parts

First, a list of hazards that may be at any building

Second, a list of hazards that are only expected at buildings built or remodeled prior to 1980

The brochure fold-over is tied to both lists, using photos to help you know what to look for.

So, the brochure helps you identify the specific health hazards…

…while the detailed answers for hazard management and disposal are on this companion web site:

Let’s take a look through the web site Go to www.baywise.org/demolition When you click on “Step 1,” you will see a long list towards the bottom of that page

It looks a bit ominous at first, but again, it has been organized to help you out

We have divided the insights by the building type and age Structures of any age Industrial and institutional structures Structures built or remodeled before 1980

1. Structures of Any Age: Chemically treated wood (arsenic, chromium, copper, creosote, and/or pentachlorophenol) Pressure-treated dimensional lumber Creosote-treated railroad ties (outdoor landscaping) CCA (chromated copper arsenate)-treated wood

1. Structures of Any Age: Ceilings and floors (asbestos) Textured ceilings Ceiling panels and tiles Resilient flooring – vinyl floor tiles and backing on vinyl or linoleum sheet flooring Mastic adhesive

1. Structures of Any Age: Insulation (asbestos) Cement-based insulation (sheets, shingles, and pipes) Furnace, water heater, and heating duct blanket or tape insulation Roofing shingles and mastic (asbestos) Photo from EPA: Vermiculite insulation in an attic

1. Structures of Any Age: Light bulbs and lamps (mercury) Fluorescent tubes and bulbs High-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs Neon tube signs and lamps Light ballasts (PCBs or DEHP) PCB ballast from an old fluorescent overhead lamp

1. Structures of Any Age: Wall thermostats (mercury) Smoke detectors (radioactivity) Glow-in-the-dark EXIT signs (radioactivity)

2. Industrial or institutional structures have additional considerations: Industrial electrical switches and relays (mercury)

2. Industrial or institutional structures have additional considerations: Industrial electrical switches and relays (mercury) Medical/dental/veterinary (mercury) Medical/dental equipment Laboratory fume hoods Sewer lines Add photos

2. Industrial or institutional structures have additional considerations: Industrial electrical switches and relays (mercury) Medical/dental/veterinary (mercury) Medical/dental equipment Laboratory fume hoods Sewer lines Schools (mercury) Gym flooring Add photos

3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain: Paint (lead) Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain: Paint (lead) Electrical transformers and capacitors (PCBs) Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain: Paint (lead) Electrical transformers and capacitors (PCBs) Caulk and sealants (PCBs) Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

3. Structures built or remodeled prior to 1980 may also contain: Industrial or institutional materials (PCBs) Paint (lead) Electrical transformers and capacitors (PCBs) Caulk and sealants (PCBs) Adhesives Insulation Applied dried paints, coatings, or sealants Molded rubber parts Paint Felt or fabric products such as gaskets Plastics Sound-deadening materials Galbestos Galbestos – an asbestos cement board – 1944 ad “Prewar Tested for Postwar Roofs”

Each subject-link provides information about hazard management and disposal. Next are a few examples:

Some topics (such as lead paint, asbestos, and PCB-containing materials) have extensive insights about where to find the material and what steps to take:

Asbestos (cont’d) Some topics (such as lead paint, asbestos, and PCB-containing materials) have extensive insights about where to find the material and what steps to take.

The bulk of specifics are on those pages. Steps 2 and 3 provide some follow-up insights

Step 3 is about disposal… Let’s dig a little deeper

Transport and Disposal Transport and disposal of hazardous waste is regulated by EPA and DTSC Transporter must hold a valid registration issued by DTSC A current list of registered hazardous waste transporters is available in the Registered Hazardous Waste Transporter Database at: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/database/Transporters/Trans000.cfm

Transport and Disposal The generator of the hazardous waste is responsible for and required to dispose of all hazardous wastes in accordance with Federal and State waste disposal regulations Permitted hazardous waste facilities are contained in DTSC’s Envirostor database at: http://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/commercial_offsite.asp

Transport and Disposal Wastes generated during the project may include: The originally identified hazardous material Solid waste generated as part of clean up process Liquid waste generated as part of clean up process

So, let’s recap!

Prior to Demolition, Step 1 is identification… Check All Buildings Chemically treated wood Asbestos-containing material Mercury-containing fixtures and equipment Particularly institutional and industrial structures Light ballasts Exit signs Smoke detectors Additional Issues for Buildings Built Prior to 1980 Lead paint PCBs in electrical equipment PCBs in caulk, sealants, and other materials

Then… Step 2: protect yourself, staff, and building occupants Step 3: comply with state and federal transportation and disposal laws

Please assist this effort to prevent pollutant dispersal: Go to: www.baywise.org Help others find the web site!

www.baywise.org

Disclaimer These documents refer to state and federal regulations that are legally complex and may be subject to varying interpretations, in some cases due to variable, site-specific characteristics. The regulatory information in these documents is presented as background information only and does not replace or supplant the requirements of federal or California law and regulations.

Acknowledgements Demolition brochure and website were reviewed by the following agencies: Bay Area Air Quality Management District – Air Toxics Inspection Group Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group Calif. Department of Public Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch Occupational Health Branch California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery California Department of Toxic Substances Control San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board San Francisco Department of Environment San Francisco Estuary Partnership