University buildings and construction sites may contain hazardous materials (i.e., asbestos, lead paint, mercury, PCBs, petroleum, radioisotopes, etc.) that may be disturbed as a result of renovation or demolition. Federal EPA regulations require that an asbestos assessment be conducted and that abatement take place prior to renovation or demolition, if these materials can be damaged. Consequently, a hazardous materials assessment should be performed at the earliest stage of a proposed project to determine if asbestos or other hazardous substances are present and if there may be a budget impact. Preliminary assessments can usually be performed by the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). However, an environmental consultant is normally retained through the project to perform more extensive assessments, especially for large buildings or building sites. It should be noted that once construction commences additional materials may be encountered that require abatement or remediation.
Revised 4/25/12