Hazardous Material Assessment – Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Owner: U.S. Army
Location: Walter Reed Army Medical Center Washington D.C.
Services Provided: Consulting, Environmental Investigation, Remediation, Demolition
Project Summary:
The 400,000-square-foot Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Building 54—located on the Walter Reed Medical Center campus in Washington, D.C.—is being renovated as part of an overall life safety upgrade project.
AMI’s efforts centered on the identification and removal of asbestos, lead and other hazardous materials located throughout the occupied research facility.
Inspection, Testing, Analysis & Hazardous Materials Assessment
The primary purpose and scope of the site investigation was to identify and quantify the presence of any hazardous materials within the facility that could be disturbed as a result of the renewal project.
The inspection of the facility and equipment consisted of four activities: a review of all facility survey reports available at the time of the investigation; interviews with facility personnel; visual inspections; and bulk and/or x-ray fluorescence (XRF) sampling for laboratory analysis.
In total, 37 asbestos bulk samples were collected from 28 suspect materials during the asbestos inspection. There were 123 XRF readings collected from suspect paints, coatings and other materials to determine the lead present.
Remediation & Abatement
AMI developed a work plan to establish operating standards to ensure full compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations during removal, demolition and disposal of hazardous materials.
Overall remediation efforts included the removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM’s); building components containing lead-based paint and lead-containing materials; PCB-containing light ballasts; mercury-containing light tubes; freon; low-level radiation smoke detectors; batteries; and x-ray developing chemicals and components.
Work also involved the demolition and disposal of interior walls, ceilings, flooring, casework, doors, plumbing, and electrical and mechanical systems.
Compliance Monitoring & Construction Management
AMI Environmental was responsible for compliance monitoring during the abatement and remediation of asbestos, lead-based paint and other hazardous materials located on the site. Abatement and demolition activities were performed by a subcontractor. AMI also provided various construction management services during renovation.