10 services found
O`Reilly, Talbot & Okun Associates, Inc. (OTO) services
Asbestos Management Services
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber found in certain geologic formations. Its outstanding physical properties once made it the building material of choice for insulation, fireproofing and a variety of specialty applications. Its chemical inertness suggested that, from a health perspective, it was completely benign. Thus, the initial news of asbestos’s staggering hazardousness was met with widespread disbelief. The safe handling and removal of building materials that contain asbestos is one of OTO’s core specialties. The intelligent understanding and planning of both stabilization and removal projects can make all the difference in maintaining project safety and predictable costs. We also strive to minimize disruption to your business and other indoor activities. OTO designs asbestos projects around your specific needs, never losing sight of public health and safety.
Brownfields Redevelopment Services
Brownfield redevelopment embodies the “green philosophy” that reusing a previously developed property for a new purpose is a better alternative than developing pristine land. OTO helps make this attractive alternative real by working with owners, developers and stakeholders to solve the legacy problems that often come with site redevelopment.
CT Transfer Act Services
The Transfer Act and Connecticut Remediation Standards (RSRs) and are regulations that govern the notification, investigation and cleanup of Connecticut properties that have been sold or transferred. The Transfer Act and RSRs pertain to properties with certain history of hazardous waste generation or land use history (dry cleaners, auto body shops for example). The standard of care for transfer act assessments requires a detailed investigation of the environmental condition of the property. The RSRs impose stringent numerical standards to the site, but also contain various options such as environmental land use restrictions for reducing the amount of remediation required, based on potential exposure to site contaminants. Taken together, the RSRs, Transfer Act, and supporting guidance documents fill bookshelves.
Ecological Risk Assessment Services
Since before the 1970s, a number of federal, state and local environmental regulations have mandated the assessment of ecological impacts, which may result from development or other uses of land and environmental resources. The science of ecological risk assessment and the regulations directing its application have developed to address the increased public concern that the environment can be readily damaged by human activity. At OTO, we don’t believe there is a viable cook-book approach to ecological risk assessment. Each assessment should describe the rationale behind the assessment by explaining how the assessment’s overall design answers the environmental questions posed, and it needs to be supported by the level of technical rigor necessary to make compelling and credible scientific arguments.
Environmental Assessment Services
Environmental Site Assessment (an “ESA”) is often the first step in the environmental due diligence process for a real estate holding. The need for environmental due diligence is often driven by a lender’s requirement associated with a financing arrangement. A significant environmental impairment will undercut the value of property, thereby eroding a loan’s collateral; lenders are thus well motivated to understand these potential risks. We have been conducting ESAs in Massachusetts and Connecticut for decades; this means we know where to go for important information quickly and efficiently. Usually, an ESA includes a review of available historic documentation, regulatory filings and interviews with knowledgeable people, but does not include testing of environmental samples until a Recognized Environmental Condition (“REC”) is identified, then testing is often recommended.
Geotechnical Engineering Services
In the past 10 years, we have performed geotechnical investigations on more than 100 projects. Our clients include owners, architects, other engineers, municipal development agencies, insurance companies and contractors. Our geotechnical engineering services have included studies for schools, commercial buildings and industrial developments, contractor support services (including the design of earth support and construction dewatering systems), and the installation and monitoring of construction instrumentation systems. We frequently provide geotechnical services associated with environmental cleanup projects, including the design of temporary support systems, and the design and construction documentation of landfill caps and engineered barriers.
Indoor Air Quality & Industrial Hygiene
When people spend more time inside workplaces and homes, their awareness of indoor environmental quality increases. Sometimes, poor indoor air quality (IAQ) is obvious and inhabitants can quickly identify its source. More frequently, however, accurate determination of the nature and extent of IAQ problems requires scientific measurements. Many circumstances can cause indoor air degradation. Among these are inadequate fresh air being drawn into a building, excess moisture in a building’s air supply as well as prior use of harmful building materials. The first signs of poor indoor air quality may be obvious, such as noxious odors. Other, subtler signs may include excess dust on indoor surfaces or building inhabitants becoming unusually sleepy in the afternoons.
Remedial Design Services
OTO has staff with over 15 years experience in the environmental remediation field. Our clients include architects, other engineers and consultants, contractors, municipal development agencies, insurance companies, religious associations, petroleum retailers and distributors, and owners of automobile sales and service facilities. We have designed, installed and operated remedial systems at residences, schools, commercial buildings, gasoline service stations, airports, within industrial developments, and at construction sites (e.g., dewatering systems). OTO has the capabilities for feasibility analysis, pilot testing, cost estimating, permitting, full-scale installations, evaluating and upgrading existing remedial systems, system operation, maintenance and optimization, project management and reporting, and remedial system shut-down and removal.
Safety & Environmental Compliance
For more than 10 years, engineers and scientists at OTO have been providing safety and environmental regulatory compliance services to industrial, commercial and municipal clients. Our expertise in this area comes from our extensive experience working directly in manufacturing sectors such as chemical processing, surface coating and metalworking. Because we have valuable experience working in industry, we understand the complex needs of our clients. We take into consideration the competitive pressures, capital limitations, and labor force strengths and weaknesses that drive daily operations in the manufacturing environment.
Spill Prevention, Control, & Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans
Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans are part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s strategy to prevent oil spills from reaching navigable waters of the United States, and must comply with the EPA’s Oil Pollution Prevention regulation 40 CFR 112. The Oil Pollution Prevention Regulation was promulgated under the Clean Water Act, and sets forth requirements for the prevention of, the preparedness for, and responses to oil discharges at non-transportation related facilities. These regulations are also known as the SPCC Rule, 40 CFR 112.
