October 24 News

Been a while since a posting -sorry about that, was away. Crews have completed metal panel installation on both sides of ABC and are now moving to install on the streetsides of DE, FG and HJK. They will probably be done in less than two weeks.

Crews are also following behind and installing caulk. They have 2 or 3 weeks left as well.

We are almost done with the CAPSUR wash on the courtyard balconies and have several to do on the streetside. I'm waiting for all test results to be returned, but will post those that need to be cleaned and those that can be used again (but for now, bear with us while we continue cleaning).

The soil excavation plans are coming together. We have to take soils from in front of ABC, DE and FG, and are trying to figure out the best way to get them out without creating unneccessary hassles. Also have to take soils from streetside units almost all the way around.

As soon as these plans are final we'll post. We're open to another community meeting if anyone wants to discuss how this will play out.

Thanks as always and feel free to stop by or call if you have questions or concerns.

Richard

Tuesday 10/14 Update - Out of Office

Crews are almost done with paint application on the side of ABC, and are focusing on brick and paint overspray cleanup and CASPUR (chemical) wash on select balconies.

I am going to be off site for the remainder of the week and wanted to ask anyone with questions to reach out to Zhanna Davidovitz at zhanna@mit.edu while I'm away.

We should have the metal panel crews back on site by the end of the week and work will continue in that area then. We still have to complete the courtyard side of ABC and all streetside surfaces with metal flashing and then install final caulk.

Thanks again.

Richard

Remediation Update 10/10/08

Hi everyone,

Great news - we've completed all caulk removal and will not have to cover any of your windows going forward (yea!!!). We've completed almost all of the encapsulation on the remaining brick surfaces and should be done with this phase by the end of next week.

Crews have started paint overspray and drip cleanup and this is a bit noisy, but it's moving pretty quickly. We've also completed most of the balcony testing (loud), and are scheduling the chemical wash on only those units that will need it. The good news is that many are passing and won't need to be washed, the bad news is those that do (fail) will need to be retested once cleaned to be sure we've made the cleanup criteria, but this should be relatively short in duration.

Some scheduling difficulties with the contractor installing the metal panels, but we hope to have this resolved by next week.

In short, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We still have soil excavation, but this should be less intrusive as it doesn't impact your apartmnt units.

All doors and entrances on the courtyard and streetside will be open this weekend. I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend and great fall weather. We certainly know you deserve it.

Thanks as always.

Richard

Wednesday 10/8 Update

Crews have started the CAPSUR wash on balconies that have been identified with concentrations of PCBs greater than regulatory limits. Not all balconies will be treated as not all 'failed' during testing (this was the noisy hamer drilling that's been taking place).

The fumes associated with the CAPSUR materials are noxious and we are only performing this step on units where the caulk hase been replaced. If your unit is adjacent to one that is being cleaned we may push your windows closed. We are also taping seams closed on windows, and any loose panels that appear to have open joints are being taped closed as well. This is only temporary for the couple of hours it takes to clean a balcony.

Similar precautions go for the crews that are grinding paint overspray off of brick and concrete surfaces. We are closing windows that are adjacent to the work to prevent dust from entering your units.

Thanks as aways for your patience with this.

Richard

Friday 10/3 Update

I apologize for the lack of updates. We've been busy and it just slipped.

Crews have completed all caulk removal activities on the entire project. They've also completed all painting in the courtyard of all units. We are now in a race to complete the metal panel installation on courtyard ABC, the replacement of caulk on courtyard units FG, DE and ABC, and the re-mobilization to the streetside to paint the brick work and install the same metal and caulk before the weather turns any worse.

We should have the poly sheeting off of units ABC by today, but certainly by end of the day Monday. The crews are on the streetside units installing and painting starting with HJK and will be moving around the complex from HJK to FG, to DE, and then ending with ABC.

Since we're not covering your windows for this phase we may push any open windows closed while we are close to a unit to minimize paint fumes. We've been leaving the fans on now that the caulk removal phase is over as the moisture and mold issues were causing bigger problems.

We are still accessing balconies for testing, cleaning and caulk replacement. There will be times when we will tape your windows closed to apply certain cleaning agents, but will not be installing poly.

I'll try to post another note shortly.

Richard

Friday 9/19 Update

It's the weekend and we'll be out of your hair - please enjoy the peace and quiet. We've installed the metal flashing on the courtyard side of units HJK so all should be able to get a sense of what the final product will look like. Probably no Pritzker prize coming soon, but it's looking better.

A few have moved some belongings back onto your balconies. We're not done with them and will be returning to clean and/or cover with epoxy, so please do not move any materials that cannot be easily moved back indoors in the coming weeks.

We're almost done removing caulk and are progressing with paint, metal flashing and caulk replacement around the inside of the courtyard. As we complete these steps in the courtyard we will be returning to the streetside to finish paint on the bricks and install flashing and final caulk.

All streetside entrances are open and almost all courtyard sides are open this weekend. We could not open courtyard ABC this weekend as the exposed contaminated materials are still adjacent to those doors, but this should be complete by next weekend.

I apologize for the excessive noise and drilling that has been taking place, but this is required for concrete testing and for installing the metal flashing. It's loud, but in fairly short bursts.

Please email or call with any comments or questions. I'm in the trailer and around, and can meet you after hours or in your offices during the workday if that would be more convenient.

Richard

9/17 Update

Wednesday morning and a lot of action on the site. Crews have completed paint encapsulation on the courtyard side of units FG and are following the caulk removal crews to start painting on courtyard DE.

We've started caulk removal on courtyard ABC and expect these units to be covered and the courtyard inaccessible for the next two weeks, though we will probably be able to grant weekend access to the courtyard doors.

We'd like to be able to provide detailed notices on door closings, but this is tough given the degree of work ongoing. For the most part, we will be working in the courtyard for the next few weeks and everyone should expect most access to be limited on the courtyard side during this period.

The biggest news is that we've started installing the metal flashing on the side of courtyard units HJK. This work is a change from the original workplan and is being completed as an aesthetic component of the final program. Unfortunately, the installation of the flashing requires mechanical attachments that use screws drilled into the brick face. This is very loud and will be noticeable.

I'll be at tomorrow's town hall meeting and available for questions, and as always please feel free to stop by the trailer and to meet at any time.

Richard