Environmental Services

Materials Testing & Inspection has extensive experience in providing environmental services to clients throughout the Northwest. Our staff includes professional geologists; hazardous materials specialists; environmental inspectors; AHERA Asbestos inspectors, planners and designers; hydrologists; microscopists and registered environmental assessors. With experience in virtually every aspect of investigation and remediation, we have gained a reputation for providing cost-effective solutions to complex environmental problems.

MTI has the capability to perform a broad range of services including inspections relating to structure demolition and renovation, regulatory permitting, and new facility design and development. Our services can be performed concurrently or independently, depending on the conditions, circumstances, and client preference.

Environmental Site Assessments

ESAs call for special expertise. MTI's Environmental Services department is a pioneer in performing environmental site assessments (ESAs) in Idaho. Initially there were no guidelines, protocols, or regulations requiring assessments-much less governing how they were to be performed or what they were to include. With the potential for often overwhelming liability on the part of landowners and financial backers, MTI developed one of the early assessment protocols in Boise to determine and establish effective baselines and quality control guidelines. This protocol has been followed by many locally and is a mirror image of the nationwide protocols established today.

MTI follows carefully developed protocols to ensure accurate and high quality assessments. Registered Environmental Assessors (REA) and Professional Geologists provide our staff's opinion or review of an assessment. MTI provides high quality, competitive pricing and rapid turnaround time. MTI's ESAs can be modified to include an in-depth quantitative and qualitative investigation to identify the presence or likely presence of hazardous substances or petroleum products in structures on the property or in the ground, groundwater, or surface water of the property. This in-depth analysis typically includes Phase II or Phase III work.

MTI also provides consulting services to those needing an independent opinion or review of an assessment performed by another firm. MTI's goal is to provide the customer with superior service at a reasonable cost on an as-needed basis. With this type of service and the in-house expertise available, MTI continues to be a leader in the environmental service industry.

Remediation

• Underground Storage Tank (UST) Decommissioning
  The proper locating, excavation, removal and disposal of USTs is known as decommissioning. It involves the safe handling and destruction of a UST as well as proper record keeping. UST decommissioning can be dangerous and costly if conducted inappropriately and should only be attempted by experts. MTI has such experts with a combined experience of over 35 years.

• Soil and Groundwater Investigation
  When petroleum or hazardous materials release involves contamination of soil or groundwater, it is essential to understand the magnitude of the contamination before a cleanup can begin. This investigation, commonly known as Phase II Assessment, involves subsurface sampling and field and laboratory analysis. MTI offers complete and comprehensive abilities in contamination investigation using the best available technology. Once the extent of contamination is understood, MTI can usually provide a variety of solutions to a property owner so the most feasible solution can be selected. Cost is an important factor in any remediation project and MTI specializes in identifying cost as part of a thorough investigation.

• Soil Cleanup
  Choosing a particular cleanup response is based on many factors. The process is simplified by tried-and-true methods as well as State and Federal regulatory guidelines. MTI is trained and knowledgeable in all applicable EPA, OSHA, and Idaho Administrative Rules. Our professionals have received Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) trained in risk-based evaluation methods. Those methods, formerly known as Risk-Based Correction Action (RBCA) and now called the Risk Evaluation Manual (REM), are the standards used to perform Tier 0, 1, and 2 closure assessments, prepare Corrective Action Plans (CAP), and implement cleanup procedures. Cleanup may involve in-place remediation techniques such as Air-Sparge and Vapor Extraction, Bioremediation, and Natural Attenuation. They may include Excavation and Land-Farming or Disposal, Pump-and-Treat Groundwater Systems, periodic monitoring or a combination of multiple techniques. MTI has the equipment, skills, and experience to confront most types of cleanup challenges.

Asbestos Services

• Asbestos Inspections
  The first step in almost any asbestos project is determining what asbestos containing materials (ACM) exist in a building. MTI offers this service timely and cost-effectively by staffing multiple AHERA certified Building Inspectors ready to conduct inspections

• Air Monitoring and Sample Analysis
  Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) is the traditional method for determining airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers. PCM is widely used during most abatement procedures. Applications include personnel monitoring, environmental monitoring, and final clearance testing for minor abatement projects. The PCM method has the advantage of fast turnaround time, low cost, and the ability to easily transport the instrument to the work site for instantaneous analysis. MTI's trained analysts are proficient in PCM analysis as demonstrated by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) Program for airborne asbestos.

• Polarized Light Microscopy Services
  Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) is the EPA recommended method for determining the presence of asbestos in building materials. These materials include, but are not limited to, pipe and boiler insulation, acoustical coatings, sprayed-on fireproofing, plasters, ceiling tiles, and floor tiles. The PLM procedure involves taking a small amount of the suspect material, isolating the fibers present, and identifying them based on the crystalline properties observed. MTI maintains proficiency in PLM asbestos analysis by participating in the AIHA bulk asbestos PAT Program.

• Asbestos Management Planning and Design
  Often clients require services beyond sample collection and analysis. Maintaining ACM within a building in good condition and describing the procedures for handling ACM when it is accidentally disturbed requires written documentation. MTI's trained professionals can assist with all the necessary permitting, document preparation, and regulatory assistance a building owner would need to keep ACM in-place without negative health risks to building occupants.

Lead Surveys

Materials Testing & Inspection has several methods to help determine if you have Lead-Based Paint (LBP) or other lead concerns in your buildings. We can also assist you in achieving compliance with the new EPA and HUD Title X regulations for "Target Housing" that went into effect September 15, 2000.

MTI offers the following options to meet the regulatory requirements:

• Risk Assessment attempts to identify the hazards associated with Lead in paint, soil, and water by determining the condition and exposure potential from these materials. A Risk Assessment may result in a need to conduct a LBP Survey. The Risk Assessment takes considerable time and is more costly than a screen.

• Lead-Based Paint Survey involves multiple samples of paints on all surfaces throughout your building. A Survey requires more time and sampling can be expensive. The Survey and the Assessment are required for buildings constructed before 1978.

The HUD deadline for compliance is November 15, 2000. Extensions will be granted up to March 15, 2001 for facilities with Lead concerns and do not have a survey, call MTI to schedule the Lead services those entities who file a "Statement of Incapacity" explaining why they are unable to comply by the deadline.

Mold Surveys

MTI has operated as a leading environmental firm for over ten years and was one of the first local firms to offer mold and other indoor air quality services in Idaho. When mold is discovered in a building the owner or occupant is often confronted with confusing and contradictory information. MTI can help owner's make proper decisions and save money by providing accurate information and rational recommendations. By working with Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIHs), mycology laboratories, and restoration contractors, we have developed effective and commonsense based solutions to mold problems.

Our abilities include:

• Analysis of Walk-in Samples and interpretation of results
• Telephone Consultations to determine type of sampling needed
• Complete Visual Investigations, Bioaerosol and Surface Sampling
• Pre-restoration Mold Screenings and post-restoration Clearance Sampling
• Design of Restoration Protocols and Mold Control Procedures.