SAK Environmental LLC participated in an USEPA Targted Brownfields Assessment for the City of Holyoke on a 160,000 square foot mill building located in the heart of the City's once robust manufacturing district.
Work was performed as part of a Phase I investigation led by Nobis Engineering as the first step in determining the feasibility for demolition or reuse of the structure. The Hart Wool Combing mill was originally utilized as a wool combing operation to support the local textile industry. The property has been vacant for several years. The building structure is dilapidated with parts unsafe to enter, and containers of hazardous material are present throughout the facility. The City of Holyoke wants to repurpose the underulizes land for market-rate housing as well as commercial use on the lower level.
SAK performed a comprehensive hazardous material building survey for Asbestos Containing Materials as well as a detailed inspection of PCBs, Mold/Fungi, and other hazardous or regulated materials located within the building. This work included a detailed inspection of the entire building, and collection of over 100 samples of building materials for analysis of asbestos, lead-based paint, PCBs, and mold. The work was performed under a project specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) approved by the EPA.
The project required exceptional safety planning to minimize risk to inspectors from structurally unsafe portions of the building.
The building was found to contain considerable quantities of hazarard material both in building materials and cntainerized waste left behind from historic operations. Abatement cost estimates were prepared. These findings, along with subsurface investigation conditoins reported by others were subsequently used to evaluate the feasibility for demolition versuses renovation.
