City Hires Environmental Consulting Firm to Support the Finalization of the School District of Philadelphia’s Asbestos Abatement Program
Arc Environmental, LLC. will facilitate the finalization of the District’s Asbestos Abatement Program
PHILADELPHIA – The City announced today that it has selected an environmental consulting firm to support the finalization of the School District of Philadelphia’s Asbestos Abatement Program, in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia (District), Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT), and 32BJ Service Employees International Union (32BJ SEIU). This third-party expert will foster facilitation between all parties and finalize the detailed process for the District’s Asbestos Abatement Program.
The Program will ensure that the District continues to be compliant with all federal, state, and local regulations and will provide best management practices for the District during all phases of asbestos abatement activities in schools.
The selected consulting firm, Arc Environmental, LLC., is an accredited environmental firm specializing in industrial hygiene services with extensive facilitation experience. The City expects that Arc Environmental will begin its work in March 2020.
Arc Environmental was selected by a panel comprised of representatives from the City of Philadelphia, the District, PFT, and 32BJ SEIU. Ultimately, Arc Environmental was selected because of its nuanced experience dealing with asbestos abatement projects and its ability to build trust among a diverse set of stakeholders.
“Arc Environmental is uniquely qualified because their team has extensive experience in working with large school districts, as well as a demonstrated ability to build trust and confidence among diverse stakeholders,” said Mayor Kenney. “I’m confident that their two and a half decades of experience will help them fulfill this important task of making sure that the District’s Asbestos Abatement Program is jointly finalized and trusted by all parties, and that it will best serve our students and families.”
Superintendent Dr. William Hite added, “Our children and teachers deserve our best. That is why we have been working with the PFT for the last year to define a set of protocols and procedures on how to manage the asbestos repair and removal process in the School District. We are looking forward to working with Arc to finalize this process for our current projects and prepare for even more projects in the coming months. Expanding the stakeholders to include our partners at 32BJ will help make sure that the entire operations group embraces a common set of protocols and procedures.”
“The PFT has long been at the forefront of advocating for healthy schools for our educators and children. It is encouraging that Mayor Kenney convened this working group to not only discuss the very real process issues at hand but also to discuss possible solutions. The proposed contract has promise and potential, and my team and I look forward to a collaborative relationship,” said Jerry T. Jordan, President, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.
“As school leaders, the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators is and has always been a critical stakeholder working to ensure the safety of our school communities,” said Robin Cooper, President of CASA. “We welcome an impartial entity to provide oversight and transparency for any environmental and imminent hazards that may exist, and we are hopeful that this will lead to a more inclusive process for all school district stakeholders.”
About Arc Environmental, LLC.
Arc Environmental is a Small Business Administration-certified firm headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. Arc Environmental specializes in industrial hygiene services, including hazardous and regulated materials inspections, project design, and abatement monitoring and oversight; lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments, lead abatement project monitoring, and abatement/hazard reduction design; air quality assessments for indoor irritants and mold/fungi; construction support services; and Phase I and II Environmental Assessments and remedial design. Arc has been providing industrial hygiene and environmental compliance services to Federal, State, and commercial clients for over 25 years.
Arc provides a team of environmental experts that understand the need for a well-integrated design team. Arc staff have wide-ranging experience working throughout a variety of facilities including educational buildings, office buildings, hospitals, laboratories, power plants, and residential dwellings. Arc provides thorough inspections and conscious abatement designs based on project needs and intent. Arc’s accredited and licensed inspectors provide practical knowledge regarding the identification, testing, management, and removal of hazardous and regulated materials which may be present throughout the building environment.
Arc’s clients include: University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Baltimore, Howard University, Coppin State University, Anne Arundel Community College, Georgetown University, George Washington University, U.S. National Parks Service, U.S. Department of State, U.S. General Services Administration, and various other Federal, state and local governments, commercial, and private clients.
Locally, Arc currently holds a multi-year consulting contract with the PHA and has been servicing clients in Philadelphia since its 1994 inception. One of its first projects (1994/1995) was the Philly Navy-base pre-closure inspection of resident and officer housing for lead-based paint and asbestos.