REPORT. Hendee St. Incinerator Demolition Site Plan. Prepared for Louisiana Land Trust

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1 REPORT Hendee St. Incinerator Demolition Site Plan Prepared for Louisiana Land Trust June 2014

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3 Section 1 Introduction The Hendee Court Incinerator is located at 2301 Hendee Court and is owned by the City of New Orleans. Originally developed in the early 1960 s as a municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator, it functioned as such for approximately 16 years before being taken out of service in the mid 1970 s. The property is triangle shaped and is approximately 5.6 acres in area. Located on the West Bank of New Orleans in the area of Algiers, it is in a mixed use neighborhood consisting of residential homes, light commercial establishments and a church. Access is from the Crescent City Connection and Algiers Service Road (see Exhibit 1, Site Location Map). On the site are two structures; 1) a large abandoned incinerator building and 2) a maintenance building in the back. After closure of the incinerator, the property has been intermittently utilized by the City for various purposes including an MSW transfer station, temporary storage site for hurricane debris and used tire storage. Currently the City maintains the site but does not use it for any specific purpose. The incinerator building is in poor condition and has had a partial roof collapse. The maintenance building is in better condition but still not serviceable. The site is surrounded with a six foot high chain link fence to prevent unauthorized entry. In early 2014, the Louisiana Land Trust (LLT) was finishing up the demolition and site restoration of a large blighted multifamily housing complex in lower Algiers. At that time, LLT was made aware of the Hendee Court Incinerator site as another blighted site that needed demolition and site restoration. Through the initiative of the LLT Director Mr. Michael Taylor, discussions were opened with the City of New Orleans toward applying LLT resources in conjunction with City funding to clean up the Hendee site. Created as a vehicle for recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, LLT s mission is to assist in the recovery of the storm affected area by demolishing storm damaged structures and restoring the economic vitality of the affected area. Helping remove the blighted Hendee Court Incinerator buildings is within LLT s stated mission. Approximately $300,000 of funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding was available through LLT to help with projects like this. Working with Mayor Landrieu and the administrative staff, a plan was developed to combine LLT controlled funding with that from sources within the City to affect the demolition of the blighted Hendee Court Incinerator buildings. This Work Plan is a general description of site conditions and the proposed approach to demolishing the structures and restoring the site within the limits of available funding and the constraints imposed by the current environmental status of the site. Since the site has a history of industrial use and potential soil contamination issues, this Work Plan has been developed with close interaction from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). 1-1

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5 Section 2 Previous Studies and Reports There is an extensive environmental document record of the Hendee Court Incinerator site listed on the LDEQ Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) website under the AI No According to LDEQ records, four underground storage tanks (UST) were removed in These tanks were listed as three gasoline USTs and one diesel UST. There is an extensive history of inspections by LDEQ but limited recent data on actual soil and groundwater conditions. The City attempted to obtain Federal EPA funds for redevelopment of Brownfields sites back in 1997 (for abandoned, idled or underused industrial sites). Although the site never qualified for a brownfields grant, it was investigated and a report generated. Under contract to EPA the firm PRC completed a Brownfield Assessment and Recommendations report for the Hendee Court Incinerator site in June of Soil samples were taken at 28 locations on a grid covering most of the site. This represents the most comprehensive data available to date on soil contamination at the site. While not up to the standards of LDEQs Risk Evaluation and Corrective Action Plan (RECAP) program, it neverthe-less sheds significant light on the condition of the site. Elevated levels were found at several locations for metals, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and one hit for PCBs. While not excessively high, they results were of concern. The PRC report also noted the presence of asbestos containing materials on various components primarily in the incinerator building. In addition, lead paint was confirmed on surfaces of both buildings. The existence of these regulated building materials is to be expected for structures built in this timeframe and can be readily managed through appropriate remediation and demolition strategies. Both asbestos and lead paint will be properly addressed in full compliance with all applicable regulations during the remediation and demolition phase of the work. On behalf of the City of New Orleans, a review of the site status and previous sampling results was performed by MMG in This report compared the 1997 sample results to the RECAP standards (RECAP was adopted by LDEQ in 2003). MMG found three to four areas with elevated metals and/or PAH concentration at the site (PCBs were also elevated in one location). These elevated concentration exceeded the most stringent RECAP screening levels but only one exceeded the industrial screening level. Unfortunately, the scope of the 1997 PRC investigation was not compliant with the 2003 RECAP program so it can only be used as a guide and is not definitive. At this point in time, there is insufficient funding to complete everything that would be necessary for a complete site cleanup and regulatory closeout. Available funding will allow for demolition and removal of the structures only. Subsequently, a RECAP investigation must be completed and remediation (if indicated) will need to be performed. The RECAP investigation would necessitate taking additional soil and groundwater samples to determine the extent of any soil contamination and groundwater pathways. The resulting RECAP report would detail soil removal/replacement needs and/or groundwater remediation strategies if required. Completion of the structure demolition phase will not impact the need for and implementation of a future RECAP study. In fact, it will make the study easier to accomplish since there will no longer be 2-1

6 Section 2 Previous Studies and Reports any impediment to accessing the full site. So long as the demolition doesn t remove any soils and only structural materials are removed, there is no downside to demolition outlined in this work plan. Document Code 2-2

7 Section 3 Asbestos Results and Remediation Plan Demolition of the Hendee Court Incinerator will be preceded by remediation of regulated asbestos containing materials (RACM). To prepare for this, CDM Smith reviewed previous asbestos testing and implemented further testing. Because of the age of the previous reports and the current condition of the structure, additional and confirmatory sampling was necessary beyond that which had been done previously. Note that there has been a significant degradation of the condition of the building including a roof collapse over the incinerator vessel. As outlined below, the current condition of the structure limits the options for remediation where an unsafe work environment may exist. A thorough inspection was performed during the week ending May 17, 2014 by a properly LDEQ accredited inspector and utilizing a certified analytical laboratory for testing and reporting see Appendix A. The following is a summary of that effort. HA-3 Incinerator Stack Insulation 30% Amosite. This ACM is located around the base of the smoke stack and wraps the connecting chamber which travels approximately 10 feet away to the exterior incinerator. The connecting chamber is approximately 12 feet above the ground and some ACM has fallen to the first floor contaminating the debris below. The 2nd floor roof has collapsed around the base of the smoke stack which would make abatement of this material difficult and a safety concern. Sections of the collapsed roof would have to be removed to access all of this ACM. This would include cutting through rebar and removing large sections of concrete. Please see photos behind HA-1 and HA-3. HA-4 Thick Incinerator Insulation 25% Amosite, 15% Chrysotile. This ACM is located on the interior wall of the interior incinerator and appears to be encased in approximately 1 inch of cement. Some of the ACM has fallen from the wall onto the incinerator floor which has contaminated the layer of granulated brick mortar. Due to the extent of cross contamination and safety concerns, abatement of this material would be extremely difficult and costly. HA-7 Incinerator Insulation Wrap 60% Chrysotile. This ACM wraps the front incinerator located on the east side of the building. The material is sandwiched between brick and steel plates. Accessing this material to abate will be the most difficult. Not only does the incinerator rise to approximately 30 feet in the air, the weight of the steel plates which encase the ACM would significantly drive up the price to abate. HA-11 Transite Siding Assumed Positive. This ACM is scattered in a room in the far NW corner of the main incinerator building. This material can be easily and quickly handled without issue. Due to the degree of difficulty to access some of the identified asbestos material, as well as safety concerns, the incinerator vessel, stack and adjacent area may be most safely handled as a RACM demolition. The remainder of the structure can then proceed with remediation followed by demolition. Upon approval from LDEQ, the contractor can decide the methodology that is safest and most effective in full compliance with the regulations. 3-1

8 Section 3 Asbestos Results and Remediation Plan The Louisiana Land Trust (LLT) will be developing bidding specifications and contract documents for this work which will be procured in accordance with Louisiana Bid Law. A Louisiana licensed contractor with the appropriate specialty certifications for demolition and asbestos remediation will be retained. The awarded contractor for this project will be required to address the asbestos issue prior to demolition and recycling of materials. Whether the contractor decides to pre-abate the material completely or demolish portions of the structure as RACM, the following procedures apply to both and will be monitored and compliance assured by LLT: Contractor performing the hazardous work will be a licensed Louisiana contractor who is certified to conduct asbestos abatement. All work will be performed by LDEQ accredited workers and supervisors, with at least one supervisor on site at all times. Proper notifications will be sent to LDEQ prior to mobilizing. All federal, state and local laws and regulations will be followed, including but not limited to LDEQ, EPA, OSHA, and LaDOTD. Where required, air monitoring will be performed by CDM Smith. All hazardous materials will be properly disposed of and tracked with approved Asbestos Disposal Verification Form (ADVF). No demolition work will be allowed until clearance is received by LDEQ on the asbestos issue. Note that lead paint will also be addressed during the demolition process. The contractor will be notified of the presence of coatings containing lead. The contractor will be responsible for proper handling, processing and disposal of materials with lead paint coatings in full compliance with all governing regulations. 3-2

9 Section 4 Demolition Plan Because of the history of the site and the pending RECAP evaluation, the Hendee Court Incinerator will be subject to a phased demolition and closeout procedures. As stated above, asbestos abatement comes first (or partial RACM demolition). Upon completion and regulatory acceptance of the asbestos abatement phase, the work will proceed into demolition. As established above, the structural instability of portions of the incinerator building may require a partial demolition in conjunction with asbestos abatement. This work, referred to as a RACM demolition will be performed by a licensed abatement contractor in compliance with all of the applicable regulations and under the appropriate and necessary environmental controls. Following the remediation of RACM in both the incinerator and maintenance buildings, the above ground portion of each structure will be demolished utilizing standard demolition practices for steel and concrete structures. In both cases, demolition of the above grade superstructure will be completed first, followed by the demolition and removal of the slabs. See Exhibit B for site plan showing configuration of the buildings to be demolished. Since the project site will impact more than an acre, a Storm Water Discharge Permit for Construction Activities will be developed and appropriate controls implemented. As discussed below, soil erosion and off-site transportation of soils must be prevented. This will be addressed in the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan developed in compliance with the Storm Water Discharge Permit. Superstructure Demolition: After asbestos remediation, the incinerator building will be demolished through the use of heavy wrecking equipment including; excavators with hydraulic shears, wrecking balls, machine mounted jack hammers, excavator bucket with hydraulic thumb and other similar equipment. The contractor may also use manual jack hammers, steel cutters and torches where appropriate. Explosives will not be permitted on this project site. The maintenance building is much less robust and will be fairly easy to dismantle. Note that lead coatings are present on some of the structural materials in both buildings and the contractor will be required to comply with all local, state and federal regulations related to the control of lead paint during demolition and disposal. As industrial structures, steel and concrete make up the majority of the construction materials present in both the incinerator and maintenance buildings. It is anticipated that most of the steel and concrete will be recycled through the demolition process. Scrap steel has a significant market value and there is a good local market for crushed concrete. Other waste materials such as wood, sheet rock, roofing, etc. that are classified as Construction and Demolition (C & D) debris will be disposed of at an appropriately permitted facility by the demolition contractor. Any other materials found on the site will be handled and disposed of in a manner compatible with LDEQ requirements. The contractor may segregate and stockpile demolished materials on site for eventual processing and transport offsite. If that is the case, care will be taken to minimize the disturbance of existing soil. Previous studies have identified residual contaminants in the soil that could affect the eventual closeout of the site. A RECAP investigation and report will eventually need to be completed for this 4-1

10 Section 4 Demolition Plan site to address potential soil and groundwater issues. The RECAP work is beyond the scope of the demolition project, however, care will be taken to minimize any disturbance of soil during the demolition process. This will be addressed further below. Slab Removal: Both the incinerator and maintenance buildings were constructed with concrete slabs on grade. It is likely that the incinerator building slab was constructed on pilings however the maintenance building may be a spread footing with no pilings. Owing to the age of the buildings, detailed engineering drawings could not be found by the City for this site. Because of the contaminants found in previous soil investigations, slab removal for both structures will be performed to minimize disturbance of adjacent soils. It is likely that clean structural fill was used as a base material for the construction of the foundations (slab, grade beams, etc.). While the current condition of this soil material is unknown, it is likely that for the most part, it has been protected from contamination by the concrete slab that rests on it. The City of New Orleans desires the removal of the superstructure and concrete slabs as part of this project thus eliminating the added cost of a second demolition phase. Also, the next phase of the site cleanup RECAP and soil remediation, will not be hampered by the presence of thick concrete flatwork. Through discussions with LDEQ on slab removal strategies, LLT proposes to remove the concreted slabs as an integral part of the demolition contract. To accomplish this, it will be necessary to minimize disturbance of the soil adjacent to the concrete slabs and to avoid any significant entrainment of soil within the concrete waste as it is removed off site. While the nature of the industrial demolition work requires heavy equipment, the contractor will be required to minimize soil disturbance and prevent any offsite transportation of soil. This can be accomplished by utilizing appropriately sized tracked machines, control of site access, erosion control and timber matting if necessary. Trucks will be subject to wheel washing before leaving site and the contractor will construct a facility to accomplish this such that mud and soil debris does not leave the site. This facility will be constructed and used during the initial demolition of the superstructure, but will be much more important during the slab removal phase for obvious reasons. Broken up concrete must be reasonably clean of soil before being transferred off site for recycling or disposal. All large pieces of soil shall be removed and retained on site. After removal of the slabs, LLT will conducted limited sampling of the soil under each slab - one sample per slab to a depth of no more than 4 feet. The results will be provided to LDEQ and included in the record for the site. The void left by removal of the concrete slabs will be filled with clean earthen fill (probably river sand) and covered with top-soil which will be seeded with native grass seed mix. The site will be graded to drain to the perimeter in conjunction with the existing site drainage. The incinerator building contains a pit that was used for dumping and temporary storage of MSW. This pit is approximately 15 feet deep and made of reinforced concrete. Currently the pit is nearly full of rainwater. As part of the demolition process, the pit will be dewatered and any debris removed. The water will be tested before removal and routed to either surface drainage or the Sewerage and Water Board sanitary sewer system as appropriate. The cost of removing the pit is exceeds the available funding so abandonment in place will be the solution. The bottom of the pit will be broken up with holes for groundwater flow and the top of the pit will be removed three feet below grade. Also, it will be necessary to cutoff any pilings supporting the incinerator building (and maintenance building if present) three feet below grade. This is standard practice for industrial demolition due to 4-2

11 Section 4 Demolition Plan the difficulty and cost of extracting old pilings. The location of the pit and the residual pilings will be surveyed and documented in the site record. Note that there may be limited excavation for utility line decommissioning. The water, sewer and gas lines will be cut and capped as appropriate. The small excavations required for this will be refill with the same soil removed for access. If any addition fill material is required, clean fill will be brought in. The same procedure will be used should any underground utility line be removed. 4-3

12 Section 5 Future RECAP Investigation and Report Currently the site is on the LDEQ "Inactive and Abandoned Sites list and is subject to regulatory oversight based on the potential for soil and groundwater contamination as evidenced by previous studies and reports. While the sampling analysis indicated some contamination from metals and petroleum based products, the levels were predominantly below the screening level for industrial sites. However, a comprehensive site investigation which defines the nature of any contamination and its vertical and horizontal limits has not been completed yet. In fact most of the previous work preceded the current Risk Evaluation and Corrective Action Plan (RECAP) regulations which were promulgated in Completion of the demolition phase will allow for implementation of the full RECAP investigation and eventual site closeout from a regulatory perspective. No future development of the Hendee site is planned at this time. The demolition project described above is a stand-alone effort and does not provide the vehicle or funding for completion of the RECAP investigation or for any future development at the site. The City of New Orleans will address this final stage of the site rehabilitation when funds become available. In the meantime, an unsightly and hazardous structure will have been removed and the site will no longer be blighted. This will have a beneficial impact to the neighborhood which is in a state of transition and will help attract new development. On the western boundary of the property, across the canal in Jefferson Parish, a new hotel complex is in the construction phase. Removal of the incinerator eye-sore will be a catalyst for development of this and other projects in the area. At completion of the demolition project, the site will continue to be maintained by the City of New Orleans and the fence limiting unauthorized access will also be maintained. A report to LDEQ will be made documenting the structure demolition and the resulting physical conditions at the site. 5-1