Environmental Services

An ever increasing awareness of environmental issues allows us to offer you a diverse and important range of environmental inspection, testing and abatement services for commercial properties. The risk to inhabitants of buildings with contaminated soils, radon gas, elevated mold spore activity or water impurities can be detrimental to human health and pose great liability risks. Mold Inspections & Testing

A detailed review of the properties interior and exterior will be conducted to determine potential sources of moisture infiltration and the possibility of physical mold growth. Sophisticated devices such as moisture meters and humidity monitors will be utilized to ascertain areas where mold growth is possible. The mold inspection is typically the first step in developing a mold profile of a property. In many instances, physical mold is not visible, therefore indoor air quality testing is necessary to determine the scope of contamination. Each building environment is unique, many variables contribute to individual risks.

Indoor Air Quality Testing

Did you know that billions of dollars in sick days, law suits and loss of worker productivity affect U.S. businesses each year from poor indoor air quality? Asthma, respiratory illness and lung cancer are major issues that can be caused by your buildings air quality. Most airborne irritants are the result of unseen events occurring in the building - sustained moisture in wall or roof cavities, high levels of uranium in the soil that the building is built on, aging and decaying finish materials, etc. Structure & Site conducts comprehensive indoor air quality studies to ensure that your building is not poisoning its inhabitants:

All of these harmful contaminants can be quantified for your buildings interior. Typically, simple solutions can alleviate conditions negative to your employees, customers or patient's health. Protect yourself, your people and your assets. Indoor air quality studies can show you what you can't see.

More information at www.epa.gov/iaq

Environmental Remediation

The remediation (removal process) of mold or asbestos is the last step in dealing with contaminated materials within a property. Typically, a removal and replacement of contaminated materials is what constitutes a remediation project. Special care has to be taken to ensure non-contaminated areas of a property are not cross-contaminated during the removal process.

Our personnel are certified to conduct remediation and produce remediation plans. If your property requires mold remediation, we will consult with you to provide the best options for your situation. There are remediation companies that thrive on the fear factor to initiate unnecessary procedures which drive costs sky high. If you have already received a remediation plan and would like a 2nd opinion, please don't hesitate to contact us. There's good reason why several school districts, relocation companies, construction firms and countless property owners have trusted us to conduct safe, reliable and thorough remediation projects.

Environmental Site Assessment

Structure & Site is experienced in reviewing site conditions and conducting investigations to assess potential environmental risks associated with a piece of commercial or industrial property. The Phase l is performed to determine several factors, such as the historical use of the property, known or suspected contamination sources within the site vicinity, and potential subsurface conditions in the site vicinity.

The decision to conduct a Phase ll is based on information obtained from the Phase l. The Phase ll will determine if contamination is present, analyze the extent of contamination and estimate the cost of remediation if necessary. The degree of investigation can include groundwater, soil, underground storage tanks, PCB content in transformers, drinking water quality, indoor air quality, and asbestos-containing materials. Many lending institutions require a Phase l as part of the mortgage due diligence process. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. It is possible that a limited environmental assessment can be conducted which can significantly reduce costs.

Radon Gas

Radon is a natural occurring by-product of decaying uranium within the earth. All buildings have some level of radon gas. The EPA reports that Radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer in the country, causing 14,000 deaths annually. To calculate the amount of radon within a building, Structure & Site utilizes the EPA recommended procedure to collect and analyze radon gas level over a 48 hour period. Click to visit the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality's map of radon concentrations in your county MI RADON MAP

Radon Remediation

If a building tests positive for high radon levels, simple and inexpensive remediation solutions are available. The most common remediation is to install a sub-slab ventilation system. This system consists of a ventilation pipe inserted into a hole that has been dug through the concrete foundation slab.

A vent fan then pulls radon gas from under the building and vents it outside before it has a chance to enter the interior of the building. Costs range from $800 to more than $3,000 depending on size and configuration of the building. The sub-slab vent system is very effective in reducing radon gas and is unobtrusive within the building. Additional info can be found at this EPA site.

Water Purity

Buildings with water supplied by a well can be subject to many impurities. Structure & Site provides water purity tests that detect levels of coliform bacteria, nitrates, nitrites, metals, radon, E-Coli, lead and arsenic.

Buildings built before 1980 may contain a high lead content within the plumbing pipe solder which can be picked up by water movement through the pipes. Additional info can be found at this EPA site.

Water testing can be a costly endeavor, as many potential contaminants exist in water supplies. Different geographic areas present unique chemical ground water circumstances and we recommend that you consult us prior to testing.

Lead Based Paint

Structures built before 1975 are subject to lead based paint content. Consumption of lead paint by way of lead paint dust poses a health threat. Testing consists of taking air quality samples, physical samples of paint or a swab tests from areas within the building, which will be analyzed to identify lead based paint content. Additional info can be found at this EPA site www.epa.gov/lead