Council ActionCITY COUNCIL
ADOPTED
Other recorded action without a published tally.
Official action detail
Source: LegislationDetail.aspx · gridLegislation
Full Bill
WHEREAS, The Health Code requires buildings constructed prior to 1980 to be inspected for asbestos and the presence of asbestos must be abated prior to demolition; and
WHEREAS, Numerous concerns have been brought before the Special Investigating Committee on Demolition Practices about other hazardous materials that may be present on demolition sites; and
WHEREAS, Some hazardous materials that are easily identified such as lead paints, oil solvents, PCB transformers, and other hazardous wastes are not required to be abated prior to demolition under the current Health Code provisions; and
WHEREAS, Popular methods of demolition including collapsing the building in upon itself, filling the basement and foundation with the debris, carting away the excess debris, or hand demolition, both of which may expose workers to toxic or hazardous materials; and
WHEREAS, These methods can create dust clouds that contaminate the air and soil. Any unremoved hazardous materials such as left-over paints, cleaners, and solvents that contaminate the soil risk release into the subsurface, potentially impacting groundwater quality; and
WHEREAS, The Special Investigating Committee finds it imperative to form a multidisciplinary Hazardous Materials Policy Group with representatives of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the Philadelphia Fire Department, the Philadelphia Water Department, the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Laborer's District Council Local 332, and other industry and environmental experts; and
WHEREAS, The Hazardous Materials Group, shall be tasked with identifying hazardous materials that should be abated from demolition sites prior to demolition and reporting on its findings to the Special Investigating Committee on Demolition Practices; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby forms The Hazardous Materials Policy Group to consider and make recommendations for the abatement of additional hazardous substances at demolition sites prior to demolition and report findings to the Special Investigating Committee on Demolition Practices.
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