Photo by Lester Smith
For those nostalgic for old times in the library, the photographer pressed his lens against the glass of the new door in an outer corner of the reference/computer room.
Tests for PCB air contamination in six areas of the Kent Memorial Library took place on November 14, and additional tests were done three days later. This second series included repeat tests of the ambient air in five of the areas, plus four more areas. And, importantly, tests of limited portions of four areas, with plastic sheeting installed to isolate the floor, ceiling, and selected wall portions. The test samples obtained were delivered to the Con-Test analytical lab in East Longmeadow, who delivered their detailed analytical results to consultant Robert May of Fuss & O’Neill in Manchester. As of the Permanent Building Commission’s January 12 meeting, he had not yet completed his study of the results.
This reporter/retired engineer (with considerable experience in analyzing technical data) was allowed to view the analytical results. He found that, out of 15 ambient air readings, nine exceeded the 200 nanograms-per-cubic-meter limit imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency for Region 1 (which includes Connecticut). There was considerable variance among repeat readings, but the data for the floor portions were all well below the limit.
Anticipating that remediation of the PCB problem may require encapsulation by coating or possibly by removal of contaminated coatings of the ceiling and perhaps the walls, pilot tests were done in early January to determine the effectiveness of various grits in sand-blasting the suspected surfaces of the honeycomb ceiling. Debris from this operation was carefully collected. In addition, Town Facilities Manager Julie Oakes is working with Sherwin Williams to evaluate suitable coatings for encapsulation. These preliminary steps are intended to help in making cost estimates, when the required remediation work is defined.