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Environmental Due Diligence

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Topic

    Benjamin M
    Fumigation Business
    Topic posted January 22, 2012 by Benjamin MMember, last edited January 25, 2012
    441 Views, 3 Comments
    Title:
    Fumigation Business
    Content:

    I'm doing phase I on a site that has a prior use as fumigation buisness from around 1976-2001 (identified from criss cross directories). It's currently a vacant lot and gives no indication of the past operations that took place onsite. 

    Are any of you aware of any potential environmental concerns posed by fumigators?

    I know they use toxic gasses (bromomethane among others), but dont think simply storing gasses onsite could have had much of a lasting impact on a property.

    Thanks.

    Comment

     

    • Vini
      posted January 24, 2012 by ViniMember

      Hey Benjamin, I shopped your question around Linkedin and got some great answers and some question of their own. Hope it helps!

      Paul Sonnenfeld (Regional Safety Director at RailWorks Track Systems) had this to say:

       Look for floor drains and sumps. If the floor of the building is concrete, determine if the concrete is sealed with a chemical-resistant coating. If the sumps or drains are cracked, then any spilled material would be released to the environment. 

      Did the operator submit any hazardous materials inventories to the local regulatory agency or fire department? Did you contact the fire department for any inspection records? 

      Any indication of equipment or vehicle repair activity? My concern is a parts washer that used F-listed solvents. Again, spills or releases on to an unsealed concrete floor will head "south" fairly quickly. 

      Septic system or plumbed sanitary sewers to a POTW? 

      Does the site have a RCRA Identification Number? 

      Check for aerial photos from the county or city for building footprint.


      Joel Zeiler (Maintenance Mechanic at SM Stoller Corp) said and asked:

      As long as they only used gasses, but if it goes back to 1976 did they use any powdered chemicals or liquid mists? How reputable was the company?


      Brad Follett (President & CEO at Rain World Environmental Consultants) :

      "You may want to investigate the type[s] of fumigation the company in question performed to determine the actual chemicals used and stored in the building. If they performed fumigation of medical facilities then Chlorine Dioxide CIO 2 and Formaldehyde H2CO were most likely utilized. Remember, surfaces especially porous surfaces will have a residual. The amount and effect will have to be determined by each chemical compound."


      Last but not least;


      Claude Hine ( Owner/CEO at H&LP Environmental Consulting) Said: 

       

      I would begin by explaining to the customer the potential of doing a Phase II. But first I would endeavor to find out the fumigants that were used and any potential of contamination in case of a liquid spill of the fumigants. Not all fumigants are liquid. After educating myself on the potential contaminants I would be in a position of making a recommendation on whether a Phase II is needed. When you think of a fumigant, their use was valuable because no contamination was left behind. A bit of research is usually enough.


      I really hope these answers help.

      Cheers


       


    • PWoloszyn
      posted January 25, 2012 by PWoloszynContributor

      Hello Benjamin,

      Much more detail is needed.

      There are many different types and applications of fumigants: commercial, residential, industrial and agricultural. And, without question, there are known significant groundwater contamination plumes in many areas of the country that were caused by fumigants, including a large DBCP plume in the Great Central Valley of California, as one example.

      Although the regional groundwater contamination plumes caused by fumigants are often from non-point sources (the widespread use on crops, for example) which make it difficult for regulatory agencies to take enforement actions, if a particular contaminant of concern (there are many related to fumigants) was known to be used at a specific subject site that is within a known regional plume, you better watch out.

      And, no matter where the site is located, the known occurence of groundwater contamination from fumigants is cause enough to proceed with great caution.

      I strongly suggest you learn the history of your subject site in the greatest of detail.

      If you wish to confer further, send me an email. :)

    • Tom Speight
      posted January 25, 2012 by Tom SpeightElite Contributor

      Lots more info is needed.  Consider also that the chemicals may have impregnated the building material (once worked on a shed with wooden structure loaded with Chlordane).  I know of a lot of potable wells in tobacco and asparagus country around here with ethylene dibromide problems too.... See if the local registry of deeds/land court etc. has any plans.  Sometimes town fire departments required inventories of pesticides or other chemicals to be filed.  If it was a big enough place they may even have had an EPCRA file. 

      Is there any info on what their main client base was?  If it was farms rather than apartment buildings, you might be able to narrow down the list of likely products.

      Failing all else, you may have to just pick some pesticide methods and shotgun the place with samples, but that's not the most desirable approach.