Volpe Center Highlights
Human and Natural Environment
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Papers and Presentations
Protect and enhance communities and the natural environment affected by transportation.
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Coordination of International Efforts Regarding Aviation-Related Emissions (FAA)
The Volpe Center is supporting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Environment and Energy in the area of aviation-related emissions. This work involves improving and validating air-quality modeling tools, and evaluating and assessing instrumentation and procedures for the measurement of airport air quality and aircraft exhaust emissions. An area of particular interest is the successful development and international acceptance of emission models developed in the United States and in Europe. As part of this effort, during the week of April 1, 2001, Mr. Gregg Fleming, Chief of the Safety and Environmental Technology Division, and Dr. Roger Wayson, also of the Division, visited Manchester, England, and Cologne, Germany. In Manchester, they participated in discussions at the Airport Air Quality/Inventory Workshop sponsored by AERONET (the Thematic Network of the European Commission on Aircraft Emissions and Reduction Technologies), which was attended by European government representatives. They also met with Dr. David Lee of the British Defense Environmental Research Agency, who is responsible for the development of a global aircraft emissions model. In Cologne, they met with Dr. Andres Doppeleurs, who has pioneered a novel method for measuring particulates in aircraft engine exhaust.
Volpe Employee Awarded for Superior Service at Libby, Montana (EPA)
On April 10, 2001, Mr. John McGuiggin of the Environmental Engineering Division received the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Silver Medal for Superior Service from EPA Administrator Christie Whitman in Washington, D.C. The citation reads: "For extraordinary action in providing Federal Agency science, technical, legal and program resources to address the vermiculite asbestos health and environmental emergency response at Libby, Montana." Since the project's inception in November 1999, Mr. McGuiggin has been the Project Manager of the Volpe Center's ongoing environmental work for EPA Region 8 in Libby, Montana, related to environmental releases of asbestos fibers from vermiculite mining in the area. He accepted the award on behalf of the entire Volpe project team.
(See related story below.)
Asbestos Removal Assessment Support (EPA Region 9)
Twenty-one processing plants located in EPA Region 9 received asbestos-contaminated vermiculite from a mine in Libby, Montana, that operated from 1925 until 1990. The Volpe Center is currently providing Removal Assessment Support at 7 of these Sites of Concern. Anticipated future work will include assessing the other 14 sites. |
The Volpe Center is supporting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by providing Removal Assessment Support at seven sites in EPA Region 9. All seven sites received vermiculite from a mine in Libby, Montana, contaminated with asbestos. Mined vermiculite was transported from Libby in bulk rail shipments to approximately 50 processing (exfoliating) plants throughout the United States for the manufacture of building insulation and lightweight concrete aggregates, and for use as an agricultural soil additive. Twenty-one sites in EPA Region 9 either processed the Libby vermiculite or received the vermiculite for manufacturing. Anticipated future Volpe work will involve Removal Assessment Support at the other 14 Sites of Concern during Summer 2001. Each Removal Assessment seeks to determine if
a current potential exists for site asbestos exposure, or if past operations or conditions resulted in any of the asbestos and/or contaminated vermiculite being transported off site.
Between February 20 and March 2, 2001, the Volpe Project Manager, Mr. Mark Raney of the Environmental Engineering Division, and Mr. Paul Kudarauskas of the Advanced Vehicle Technologies Division led Removal Assessments at three sites
in Arizona, three sites in California, and one site in Hawaii. Each assessment involved sampling of air, soil, dust, and other bulk/waste materials for asbestos, as well as gathering information regarding relevant past and current site operations. The results will be used to determine the need for any additional investigative and/or corrective actions.
At Libby, Montana, since November 1999, the Volpe Center has provided environmental engineering, remediation, and information systems support; laboratory analyses; and technical coordination related to environmental releases of asbestos fibers from the past vermiculite mining in the area. Volpe's removal assessment efforts in EPA Region 9 are a direct result of EPA's requirement to determine the national extent of asbestos contamination associated with the mining operations in Libby.
Hazardous Materials Abatement at the Grand Canyon Airport (FAA)
The Volpe Center is supporting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Western Pacific Region by providing environmental engineering support at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, Grand Canyon, Arizona. The FAA is replacing the existing Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and Remote Transmitter/Receiver (RTR); before these buildings can be abandoned, abatement of hazardous materials must be performed, as required by FAA Order 1050.19 for Lease Terminations. In support of this effort, Ms. Julie Borgesi of the Environmental Engineering Division visited the site to identify the hazardous materials requiring abatement at the ATCT and RTR buildings. These materials consist mainly of peeling and flaking lead-based paint as well as lead-acid batteries, which, if left in the abandoned buildings, could adversely affect human health or the environment. Lead is a cumulative poison that affects children and adults; it is also very toxic to aquatic life. Lead-based paint is of concern both as a source of direct exposure through ingestion of paint chips, and as a contributor to lead in interior dust and exterior soil. Battery components are toxic and corrosive -- lead and sulfuric acid can contaminate the air, soil and water, and direct contact with sulfuric acid can burn the skin and eyes. Ms. Borgesi prepared the Final Abatement Specification to address abatement of these materials and submitted it to the FAA on March 29, 2001.
