Hydroelectric Power Plant Decontamination, Finger Lakes Region, New York

Project Highlights: 

• Removed 5,000 linear feet of asbestos wrapped cables
• Removed over 10,000 square feet of asbestos panels
• Sampled over 300 oil filled vessels
• Demolished over 50 cubic yards of brick and concrete from the third floor

Sessler Environmental Services (SES) was contracted to carry out a comprehensive asbestos abatement and select demolition project for a public utility. Their scope of work included removing 5,000 linear feet of asbestos-wrapped cable and over 10,000 square feet of asbestos panels.

The select demolition portion of the project involved the removal of former conduits, wall anchors on non-regulated piping and partition walls. Additionally, SES faced an unforeseen challenge on the third floor, where brick switch chambers needed to be removed. Accessing this floor proved difficult as it was only reachable through a stairwell. To overcome this obstacle, SES made the decision to remove a window and employ a high-reach, all-terrain forklift to remove the waste and debris from the floor.

Despite the complexities of the project, the SES team successfully completed the abatement activities and seamlessly transitioned into the select demolition tasks. This approach ensured minimal disruption to the project schedule and allowed the client to work with a single contractor for the entire project, streamlining the process.

Since the hydroelectric power plant was constructed in the 1920s, outdated wires and conduits had been abandoned and not removed during subsequent cable and conduit upgrades. SES’s project team collaborated with the client to identify and remove most of the abandoned cables on the upper floor of the facility. These cables were found to be asbestos-coated, lead-jacketed, and PCB-impregnated. Additionally, the facility housed oil-filled vessels, switches, and cable junctions, which required PCB testing and analysis prior to removal.

SES’s field team diligently collected over 300 individual samples for PCBs and sent them to a laboratory for chemical analysis. The resulting sampling report served as the basis for the disposal of the oils and equipment as non-PCB waste, ensuring proper handling and adherence to environmental regulations.

By entrusting SES with this project, the client benefited from their expertise in turnkey asbestos abatement and select demolition services. The successful completion of the project within schedule demonstrates SES’s commitment to delivering efficient and high-quality solutions to their clients.