Hazardous material check in flooded homes a precise process

If you've driven through the Time Check neighborhood of northwest Cedar Rapids lately, you've probably noticed a lot of “TT” and “LE” initials painted on flood-damaged homes.

The orange or green initials indicate that a house has been checked for hazardous materials and those hazards have been removed.

“TT” is Tetra Tech of Pasadena, Calif., working under a $1.3 million contract the Cedar Rapids City Council awarded on Nov. 24 to identify and test materials containing asbestos in about 1,000 flood-damaged homes. The company's three-person teams also identify hazardous household waste and perform mold assessment and testing.

“LE” is Lindstrom Environmental of Plymouth, Minn., which won a $1.26 million city contract Dec. 22 to remove and safely dispose of any asbestos and other hazardous waste.

Their work is important for environmental and financial reasons.

Cedar Rapids Flood Recovery Director Greg Eyerly said asbestos and other hazardous materials must be removed before demolishing a house. “If we didn't go in and remove the hazardous materials, we'd have to pay the landfill three times the amount of money,” Eyerly said.

Jeffrey Mitchell, Tetra Tech project manager, said the three-step inspection and testing process is thorough. It starts with a survey to determine the presence or absence of mold. “It's not only a visual inspection, but we also take samples for testing,” Mitchell said.

The teams also inspect for asbestos, punching a hole in every floor, wall and ceiling to determine what is behind each and taking samples from exterior siding and roofing materials. Then they do a household hazardous waste inventory. “That could include refrigerators, washers and dryers, dishwashers, hot water heaters, and window and exterior air-conditioning units,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said household waste includes paints and cleaning liquids that were left in the home. In older homes, the thermostat may contain a small amount of mercury, which is considered toxic.

“Anything that cannot be disposed of normally as construction debris is considered hazardous and must be removed,” Mitchell said. “Batteries in carbon monoxide and smoke detectors have to be removed.”

Mitchell said many homes have been partially gutted on the first floor, but Tetra Tech crews also have inspected houses that haven't been touched since the June 2008 flood. They do not check homes that city inspectors have determined are unsafe or structurally unsound.

Tetra Tech crews write up what they have found and draw a diagram to show where hazardous materials are located.

Lindstrom Environmental uses that information to remove the hazardous material, Mitchell said. Then Tetra Tech inspectors go through the house again to make sure all of that material is gone and that no asbestos dust is left behind, he said.

Tetra Tech, which employs about 12 locally, has opened a permanent office in downtown Cedar Rapids. Mitchell said company sees opportunities for additional business in Eastern Iowa.