Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutEQCB Min 1987-08-18 e e CITY OF SEAL BEACH . ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CONTROL BOARD August 18, 1987 MINUTES I. Call to Order Chairperson Gayle Knapp called the meeting to order at 7:30. II. Pledge of Allegiance Lowell Kolb led the Pledge of Allegiance. III. Roll Call Pamela Walker called the roll. Present: Ray Fortner Stephen Gavlick Gayle Knapp Lowell Kolb Absent: Donald Eisenberg . Also Present: Pamela Walker, Department of Development Services Jeff Benedict, Orange County Health Care Agency IV. Board Reorganization Mr. Kolb nominated Gayle Knapp for chairperson. Steve Gavlick seconded. There were no other nominations. AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: Fortner, Gavlick, Kolb None Knapp Eisenberg Mr. Gavlick nominated Mr. Kolb for vice-chairperson. Ms. Knapp seconded. There were no other nominations. AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: Fortner, Gavlick, Knapp None Kolb Eisenberg r' V. Discussion: Asbestos in the Home Ms. Knapp opened the discussion by inviting Jeff Benedict of the Orange County Health Care agency to make a presentation on the subject of asbestos in the home. Mr. Benedict explained that he worked in the En~ironmental . e e . August 18, 1987 EQCB Minutes Page Two . Health division of the County Health Care Agency, and discussed the responsibilities of his office. He gave a brief background on asbestos in general. Friable asbestos, that which easily crumbles, is the only form considered an indoor risk by Environmental Health. He noted that asbestos in the home is most frequently found in heating ducts, blown acoustical ceilings, floor tiles and decorative fireplace embers. One type of metal duct with asbestos tape around the elbows is not considered a problem by the county unless the ducting separates at the tape. Alumibestos ducts, a brand which contains up to 5~ percent asbestos, may be a problem if the ducting is damaged. Mr. Benedict noted that he has received calls from Seal Beach residents regarding this type of duct but had not seen any damaged alumibestos to date. Tests on alummibestos ducts have not revealed levels of asbestos which exceed the amount of ambient asbestos. Mr. Benedict also mentioned a study of the Orange County area performed by Mount Sinaii in August 1984 which found no homes with asbestos levels above ambient. Therefore, Environmental Health has no evidence that homes may be contaminated with excessive levels of asbestos. Mr. Benedict explained that Environmental Health recommends that homeowners do nothing with ducts containing asbestos, since only damaged ducting could be a hazard. Nevertheless, he recommended caution since asbestos is a known carcinogen. Mr. Benedict concluded that the State Health Department observed similar guidelines. Mr. Gavlick asked whether paneling with asbestos was still being manufactured. . Mr. Benedict responded that no new products containing asbestos had been manufactured since 1978, but that asbestos had not been completely banned. Mr. Benedict discussed three procedures that homeowners can follow to treat acoustical ceilings containing asbestos: removal of the ceiling; encapsulation with drywall and/or paint; or nothing at all. Again, studies on the ceilings show that unless clear damage has been done to the ceilings, levels of asbestos do not exceed ambient levels. Environmental Health recommends encapsulating damaged acoustical ceilings. Mr. Benedict pointed out that experts disagree over what constitutes a dangerous level of asbestos exposure. The Health Department does prescribe any guidelines in this regard. Mr. Benedict noted that private companies will perform an analysis of asbestos levels in the home for a fee. These companies usually recommend removal and encapsulation of asbestos products. Mr. Benedict observed, however that asbestos removal is expensive and the location of a Class One landfill that can receive asbestos waste may be difficult. He also mentioned that Environmental Health will be requesting building officials to require asbestos testing as a condition of demolition permits, and to require asbestos . . . e e August 18, 1987 EQCB Minutes Page Three removal prior Mr. Benedict presentation. to the asked issuance of a permit if asbestos is found. the Board for questions regarding his Ms. Knapp asked Mr. Benedict to comment on asbestos in the schools. Mr. Benedict responded that because school children were considered the population most at risk from asbestos, there has been a big effort to remove asbestos from schools. The Environmental Protection Agency became involved in issuing guidelines and requirements regarding the removal of friable asbestos from schools, resulting in a great deal of cooperation. Mr. Benedict noted that occupational health regulations cover asbestos in schools and workplaces while there are no standards for asbestos in the home. Ms. Knapp confirmed that ceilings that have been blown since 1978 do not have asbestos in them. Mr Kolb observed that overblowing or repainting would be adequate to control asbestos in acoustical ceilings. Mr. Kolb also spoke to the issue of asbestos in the schools, and the response of school officials. Mr. Benedict noted that one cannot be sure without testing whether some construction materials do contain asbestos. Mr. Benedict stated that insulation materials are not known to contain asbestos. Mr. Kolb discussed his experience finding damaged asbestos ducting in his attic, connected with his forced air unit. Mr. Benedict estimated that several hundred thousand homes in Orange County contained asbestos construction materials. His concern related to how these materials would hold up over time. Mr. Kolb stated that when he discovered asbestos in his ducts, his first action was to pull it out and throw it in the trash, which may have released more asbestos into. the air. He felt that this issue was of great importance, as peoples' lives may be at stake. He said that City staff had been reluctant to become involved in the issue in the past due to potential liability. Mr. Kolb was chairman of the EQCB when he discovered the asbestos in his home, and he determined that citizens should be warned about the potential hazard. He delivered flyers around his neighborhood describing his findings, and received 12 to 15 responses from the 300 homes he contacted. . . . e e August 18, 1987 EQCB Minutes Page Four Mr. Benedict suggested that the asbestos issue is analogous to pesticides. People should know they are a potential hazard if incorrectly handled, bu~ need not remove them completely from the home. Mr. Kolb stated his strong opinion that people should be informed about the presence of asbestos in some homes in Seal Beach. Mr. Benedict noted that the alumibestos ducts were fairly easy to identify. Ms. Knapp inquired as to the recommendation of the Health Department in dealing with indoor asbestos. Mr. Benedict said that the State, Los Angeles County and Orange County were all recommending that if materials containing asbestos are in good repair they should be left alone. If repairs are necessary, they should be performed by a licensed contractor, or someone familiar with the proper procedures for removing asbestos. Mr. Benedict recommended a pamphlet entitled A Contractors' Guide to Asbestos and information on asbestos ceilings from the State Health Department. Ms. Knapp stated that this information should be in the City's files, and asked what action the Board should take on the issue. Mr. Kolb thought the Board should make an effort to inform people in College Park East about the asbestos risk, and possibly the homeowners on the Hill. Mr. Fortner inquired about the Board's official role in the City. Ms. Walker answered that the Board's role is determined by ordinance, and is essentially advisory in nature. The Board may investigate environmental matters, and make recommendations to the City Council on such issues. The Board cannot establish programs on its own, however, and any actions must be first approved by the Council. Ms. Knapp expressed concern that Leisure World might also be built with materials containing asbestos. Ms. Walker suggested that the Building Department would be a good place to distribute informat~on on asbestos~. or guidelines on working with asbestos. - Mr. Fortner asked if the County provided any information on asbestos. Mr. Benedict said that the information on asbestos in the home . . . e e August 18, 1987 EQCB Minutes Page Five distributed to the BQCB was information. Mr. Benedict also Contractors' Guide to Asbestos. used gave routinely for staff copies general of A Ms. Knapp asked that the Board receive copies of the Contractors' Guide. Ms. Knapp called for recommendations from the Board. Mr. Fortner asked whether the County knew of any programs in other cities to inform the public about indoor asbestos. Mr. Benedict responded that he did not, and that the County itself did not operate such a program. He felt the County was being cautious since the problem was not demonstrated to be significant through studies and the county did not wish to alarm the public. Still, asbestos is a known carcinogen, and the possibility of a problem could not be ignored. Mr. Fortner asked Mr. Kolb whether he had done any study of the level of asbestos in his home. Mr. Kolb replied that he had only had the ducting itself analyzed, and not the home as a whole. He continued to recommend that the Board take a hard-hitting approach, as a previous news release had not been very effective. He again discussed his efforts to distribute flyers throughout his neighborhood as having had a good impact. He felt it important to provide some information, possibly as private individuals if the Council did not act to establish a program. Mr. Fortner observed that the Board had no demonstrable evidence, even in Mr. Kolb's case, that elevated levels of asbestos existed in homes in the City. Mr. Kolb replied that he had been cautious in preparing his flyer for that reason. He had alerted neighbors to the asbestos as a potential hazard. Ms. Walker offered to prepare a staff report analyzing the possible approaches to the issue of indoor asbestos.' She recommended a full examination of the pros and cons of various actions, rather than a Board action at this meeting. Ms. Knapp inquired whether staff could support some sampling programs around town. Ms. Walker answered that the concept was valid, but that no funds were specifically budgeted to the EQCB. Ms. Knapp noted that the Board could recommend the allocation of funds for testing to the Council. . . . ~ . e 'August 18, 1987 EQCB Minutes Page Six Mr. Benedict added that an individual trained to recognize construction materials containing asbestos could study the issue without resorting to lab testing. Ms. Knapp suggested the possible participation of a building inspector in a volunteer program of surveying the homes of interested citizens around town. Mr. Fortner suggested that many people may have already drawn conclusions about the possible threat of asbestos through reading the literature, and that a flyer may not be effective in reaching these people. Ms. Walker raised questions as to how much information can or should be presented in an outreach effort. Mr. Fortner moved to request staff to summarize the options before the Board, and make a recommendation on a possible action. Mr. Gavlick seconded. AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: Fortner, Gavlick, Knapp, Kolb None None Eisenberg Ms. Knapp thanked Mr. Benedict for attending and participating in the EQCB's discussion. VI. Board Concerns Mr. Kolb spoke on his participation in a contamination in the home, and expressed discussing that issue in the future. study of radon an interest in Ms. Knapp discussed rescheduling the Board's meetings to 8:00. The Board agreed to meet next on October 20, 1987 at 8:90 p.m., and to prepare the formal documentation of the new meeting times for the City Council. VII. Staff Concerns There were no staff concerns. VIII. Adjournment Mr. Gavlick moved, with the unanimous consent of the Board, to adjourn at 9:95 p.m.