11-10-17

2B — November 10 - 23, 2017 — New Jersey — M id A tlantic

Real Estate Journal

www.marejournal.com

N ew J ersey

his year’s Atlantic hur- ricane season has been among the most active Damage to industrial, residential properties can go beyond repairing physical structures Environmental concerns in the wake of a hurricane, flood event T

interview, Michael Novak, president of Hoboken, NJ based Atlantic Environmental Solu- tions Inc. (AESI) – a full-service environmental consulting firm – talks about identifying and addressing environmental is- sues that may impact indus- trial buildings and residential properties in the wake of a hurricane or flood event. Q: How does flooding im- pact a building’s indoor air quality (IAQ)? A: Standing water is a breed- ing ground for mold and bacte- ria, which grow rather quickly. Failure to properly remove

contaminated materials, and reduce moisture and humidity can pose a serious health and safety risk to anyone exposed to that environment. Quick action is key as it reduces the scope and cost of the project, and time it takes to remediate. When a property owner calls us about flood damage, we perform a site inspection and testing, and if mold is discovered a remedia- tion program is designed, which involves removing all mold- damaged materials (drywall, wood, carpet, flooring etc.) and setting up a containment area where all work is performed

to minimize mold spores being released into the air. Once the site is cleaned and air quality passes inspection, we help the property owner with their re- building efforts. Loss of business in the after- math of a flood can be particu- larly devastating to retailers and timely remediation is in- valuable here as well. A na- tional retailer recently awarded AESI an IAQ and mold evalu- ation survey for 50 of its stores in Puerto Rico impacted by hurricane damage. Q: What impact does flood- ing have on underground/

aboveground storage tanks? A: Storage tanks can become inundated or dislodged by flood waters. As a result of this dam- age, a tank’s contents can be released into the environment causing soil and groundwater contamination. AESI was in- volved with a project where fol- lowing a flood an aboveground tank became dislodged and spilled a significant amount of oil throughout the property. After testing and initial recon- naissance, we remediated the site by excavating, removing the effected soil and ground water, and performing post- excavation testing to ensure no further action was required. It’s important to note that in many locations, including New Jersey and New York, these types of spills also need to be reported to the State. Q: Can flood waters cause environmental damage to entire neighborhoods? A: Absolutely. We saw this first hand in 2012 in the after- math of Super Storm Sandy. A neighborhood in the City of Bayonne experienced consid- erable flooding, and when the water receded, it left behind an oily mess on homes, garages, etc., AESI was brought in to help the City with reconnais- sance and remediation in- cluding soil and air sampling, cleanup activities and other re- lated services. We determined the source of this oil spill was surficial and not ongoing; given the magnitude and chaos of this storm, the source was never really known. AESI evaluated 1,500 homes impacted by Super Storm Sandy including provid- ing these valuable LSRP ser- vices for the City of Bayonne. Q: Are there other envi- ronmental issues that can impact a property following a flood? A: Many times, asbestos abatement is part of restoring a business, or home, after a flood. When water damages a property, insulation and other building materials become exposed. Building materials in many homes/businesses con- structed before the early 1980s contain asbestos; paint in build- ings constructed prior to 1978 may contain lead. Both are dangerous to occupants if not remediated correctly. Following a flood event, we test building materials for asbestos and if any is identified we quantify those materials, perform all continued on page 14B

in recent his- tory, bringing with it a rapid succession of storms and causing un- precedented d ama g e t o residential/ commercial

Michael Novak

properties and entire commu- nities. Even after rainfall sub- sides and floodwaters recede, lingering environmental issues can remain. In the following

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