Big Dead Place

by Nicholas Johnson

  During the performance of this survey thirty-seven (37) building interior samples were taken and analyzed. With the exception of vinyl flooring, asbestos was only found in joint compounds (1-5% asbestos by weight), not sheet rock.

  Concern about the presence of asbestos occurred recently during renovation at two locations in the building:

  • In room 207 after a piece of door trim/frame was removed and the underlying material looked suspect.

  • In room 119/120 where glued corkboard was being removed from sheet rock on the walls near ceiling level.

  As soon as the materials were deemed suspect, work was halted and samples were tested using a rudimentary field test kit for hazardous waste characterization. While one sample indicated the presence of asbestos, the test kit is subject to false positives from contamination of other materials mixed with the asbestos. It is possible some joint compound could have been mixed with the tested materials. All other field tests were negative. The more accurate AECOM tests indicated the other building materials to be asbestos free.

  When it was determined the materials could contain asbestos, air sampling was conducted to assess the exposure hazard. Initial samples indicated levels inside and outside the rooms to be less than 1/2 the occupational standard. The rooms were isolated with poly. Subsequent samples indicated levels outside the rooms to be less than 1/10 the standard, and in several cases, non-detectable.

  BUILDING 203: This building has been 95% demo’ed, to date. Because it is relatively new in comparison to building 165, it was considered to be asbestos free at the start of the work. The AECOM survey was not referenced. This was an oversight. The survey does indicate the building to be asbestos free (12 samples) with the exception of approximately 100 square feet of vinyl flooring in the vestibule area. Although this was unknowingly removed, asbestos in embedded vinyl materials is usually tightly bound, minimizing airborne exposure during handling. In addition the vinyl was removed as a single sheet.

  This building was sampled for airborne fibers and found to have levels less than 1/10 the occupational standard for asbestos. It should be noted this sampling method counts total fibers - it cannot differentiate the asbestos fibers from non-hazardous fibers consequently, it overestimates the results. A comparative sample taken on T-site, where no asbestos materials are present (new building) indicated total fiber levels 4 times those found in 203.

  Current Situation

  While some asbestos containing materials may have been disturbed in the renovation of these buildings, based on the quantities involved, time, and the conservative (over estimating) sampling methods, it appears the exposures were very low. In most cases, levels were well below the permissible limit. The isolation of the subject rooms in building 165 has resulted in levels in adjacent areas considered safe for public use. Building 203 also meets these criteria, though work was initially suspended in the building pending further evaluation due the sensitivity of the issues.

  Additionally, 9 out of 10 very recent samples taken in both buildings using the field test, indicated negative results. This included dust residue, drywall, and ceiling tiles. The only positive sample was for vinyl flooring.

  While there were oversights in our renovation management planning process, we feel we responded responsibly to minimize exposures after suspect material was identified.

  APPENDIX III

  ASBESTOS MEMO 2

  From: Blake, Steven

  Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 10:58 PM

  To: Scott, Jim - Denver

  Subject: Asbestos at McMurdo

  Dear Jim Scott,

  We are writing in response to the memorandum that you sent to Tom Yelvington on July 2, 2001 regarding McMurdo Asbestos Issues that in turn was forwarded to us. In this letter we wish to correct some inaccuracies in the memorandum specific to the remodel project at 203A.

  In addition to the vestibule that had 100 square feet of asbestos containing vinyl flooring, we also removed vinyl flooring from 4 bathrooms (16’x12’ each = 640 total square feet) and the laundry room (16’x14’ = 224 square feet). 964 square feet is approximately 10 times the amount of square footage listed in your memo. In the 1992 AECOM survey the vinyl flooring in the rest of the building was never tested, but was stated to be homogenous with the vestibule flooring.

  In your memo you stated that the asbestos containing vinyl flooring was “removed as a single sheet”. We know as workers who participated in removing the flooring that this is not correct. We cut, ripped, and scraped the floor off causing the flooring to be torn in numerous pieces as well as greatly increasing (not minimizing) the airborne exposure during handling. This will be proven if the asbestos sheet vinyl is removed from the construction debris flat racks.

  We have a discrepancy concerning the statistic you listed for the field tests in which you state 9 out of 10 samples tested negative for asbestos. On June 14th 4 field tests were performed, two of these tests came back positive for asbestos in the bedroom drywall and joint compound. On June 16th 4 field tests were done, 1 field test came back positive for asbestos in the vinyl floor, of the 3 negatives, 1 test was a control done on new uninstalled drywall implying a degree of accuracy to the field tests. The following week a field test was performed in which drywall joint compound from another bedroom tested positive for asbestos. The correct statistic is 6 out of 10 samples tested negative, 4 were positive.

  In regards to the recent air samples taken in 203A this is not representative of the poor air quality throughout the remodel process. Multiple penetrations were cut in each bedroom and lounge with circular saws emitting clouds of drywall dust which permeated the entire building. Additionally, the dust from these cuts and other drywall alterations was swept on a daily basis intensifying the amount of airborne particles to the point of low visibility. We are sure that anyone who worked on the building will attest to this. We are confused at how you determined that during renovation the exposure levels were low and well below the permissible level. Could you please explain this?

  In closing, we recognize that you took proper action after the asbestos containing materials were identified. However, it is obvious that the facts are being misrepresented regarding the quantities of asbestos containing materials involved, the levels of exposure, and the validity of air sampling after a vast majority of the renovation has been done. This letter highlights many of those misrepresentations. It is important in assessing a situation of this magnitude that the facts and the amount of exposure should be represented accurately by workers involved in the project. Considering the information that we have now provided you with and the serious nature of asbestos exposure, we hope the situation will be handled in a more appropriate and professional manner.

  Below is a letter from FEMC station manager Gary Teetsell addressing the asbestos issue, pertinent passages from the Raytheon Supervisors Safety Handbook, and attached you will find the memorandum written by you which we have been discussing.

  Sincerely,

  S. Wilson Blake

  [And co-workers]

  GLOSSARY

  125—One of McMurdo’s two apartments for Distinguished Visitors; self-contained, with its own shower and toilet, kitchen, and spacious quarters

  155—The central hub of McMurdo Station, housing the Galley, the store, the barbershop, the radio station, HR, Finance, the Recreation Office, the ATMs, and many dorm rooms

  AGO—Automated Geophysical Observatory. Automated data-collection devices placed around the plateau to collect meteorological and seismic data

  ANG—New York Air National Guard 109th Airlift Wing, provider of logistical support to NSF for the U.S. Antarctic Program

  The Antarctic Sun—Weekly NSF-funded paper published in McMurdo during the summer

  The Antarctic Treaty—Multinational agreement governing the use of Antarctica

  ASA—Antarctic Support Associates, USAP prime support contractor from 1990 to 2000; a joint venture of Holmes & Narver Inc. and EG&G Inc.

  BFC—Berg
Field Center; supplies field camps with equipment and provisions, such as tents, sleeping bags, sleds, and dried foods

  Boondoggle—any non-routine trip away from station

  Bug Juice—Kool-Aid

  Carhartts—insulated work overalls

  CD—Canterbury Draft, New Zealand beer

  CDC—Clothing Distribution Center, in Christchurch, where those going to the ice are outfitted with clothing appropriate to their jobs

  Central Supply—McMurdo dispensary for office supplies

  The Chalet—NSF headquarters in McMurdo; USAP administration center housing the offices of the senior NSF Representative and senior management of the prime support contractor

  CODF—Commander of Operation Deep Freeze

  CONUS—Continental United States

  Crary Lab—Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Laboratory; main lab in McMurdo, named after a geophysicist and glaciologist

  DA—Dining Attendant, a Galley assistant who washes dishes, scrubs pots, tends the condiments, and mixes Bug Juice

  Daybar—Morning bar hours for nightshift workers, held a few times a week in Southern Exposure Delta—all-terrain transport and cargo vehicle, with large tires for snow traction

  Denver—RPSC management headquarters in Denver suburb, Centennial

  DNF—Do Not Freeze (refers to cargo itself, or the building in which it is stored)

  Discovery Hut—Robert Scott’s hut at Hut Point, across the bay from McMurdo Station; probably the most famous historical landmark in Antarctica because of the great number of miserable explorers who sought refuge there over the years

  The Dome—Central hub of South Pole Station before completion of the New Station

  DVs—Distinguished Visitors, such as politicians, journalists, high-ranking NSF Reps, and celebrities, such as explorer Sir Edmund Hillary, astronaut Jim Lovell, and Princess Anne

  ECW—Extreme Cold Weather clothing, including everything from socks and long underwear to UV-blocking sunglasses and a heavyweight parka

  EO—Equipment Operator

  EPA—Environmental Protection Agency

  FEMC—Facilities, Engineering, Maintenance, and Construction; department includes tradesmen such as plumbers, ironworkers, and electricians

  Fingee—Fucking New Guy (not pejorative, so contempt may be expressed by “Fuckin’ fingee” without redundancy)

  Fleet-Ops—Fleet Operations; responsible for making and maintaining roads, runways, and the Ice Pier; also responsible for all explosive handling, snow removal, and crane operations, and in charge of most of the heavy equipment fleet in McMurdo

  Fortress Rocks—Staging and processing area for Solid Waste; formerly McMurdo’s landfill

  F-Stop—Field Support Training Program, in which professional guides and mountaineers train people in outdoor survival techniques; also responsible for measuring ice thickness to determine safe travel routes over sea ice

  Fuels—Department responsible for supplying fuel to all buildings, as well as fueling aircraft and orchestrating station resupply from the yearly fuel tanker

  GA—General Assistant, Antarctic equivalent of a temp worker for manual labor, assigned to departments as needed for such tasks as shoveling snow, taking inventory, cleaning, and other undesirable jobs

  Gallagher’s—McMurdo’s non-smoking bar

  Galley—Kitchen and cafeteria

  Grantee—a scientist who has received a grant from NSF; NSF refers to scientists as “grantees” to remind them of their place

  Hagglund—Two-compartment tracked personnel carrier that floats

  Happy Camper School—Outdoor survival training run by F-Stop

  Haz Yard—Hazardous Waste Processing Facility

  Heavy Shop—the garage, or the Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF)

  Herman Nelson—A powerful portable heater used primarily to pre-heat cold equipment that won’t start

  Highway One—The main hallway in Building 155, where people run into each other at lunch hour and trade quips about work, or run into each other after work and make plans for later

  Hotel California—A dorm with very small rooms for people with no Ice Time

  Housing—The Housing Department or Office

  HR—Human Resources Department, the intermediary between the company and the employee

  Hut 10—Large apartment for community social functions

  Hut Point—Site of Robert Scott’s Discovery Hut, across the bay from McMurdo

  Ice Time—The number of months one has worked either in Antarctica or in Denver; a factor in determining one’s housing allocation

  IAP—International American Products. Subcontractor in 1996-1997 that provided food, janitorial, barber, and laundry service for the USAP

  I-Drive—Community drive for sharing photos on the McMurdo network

  IGY—International Geophysical Year. From the 2002 USAP Participant Guide: “The 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year (IGY) emphasized antarctic exploration and included research by 12 nations at 67 stations in Antarctica. For the first time, year-round stations were maintained in the continental interior, and the distribution of stations was sufficient to permit synoptic studies. It was the greatest coordinated scientific assault on Antarctica ever mounted.”

  ITT—ITT Antarctic Services. USAP prime support contractor in the 1980s

  Jamesway—Canvas and wood-structured tent used at the South Pole and field camps, made famous in the Korean War

  JATO—Jet-Assisted Take-Off for aircraft; also, the pure-grain alcohol stored in barrels that people sometimes drink at parties

  JSOC—Joint Space Operations Center

  Lower Case Dorms—Less desirable than Upper Case Dorms, with community bathroom and smaller rooms

  MacOps—Call sign for the McMurdo Field Operations Communications Center. MacOps is the center for all VHF and HF communications with the deep field and the Dry Valleys (who must call in at scheduled times), as well as vessel traffic in the summer and communication checks with Pole in the winter. Those who leave McMurdo must first radio MacOps to give vehicle information and departure/return times.

  Mac Weather—McMurdo Weather; its main task is issuing weather forecasts for aviation. Mac Weather is part of Aviation Technical Services (ATS), which also includes air traffic control and airfield ground electronics, provided by the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).

  Mainbody—Summer season, from October to February

  MCC—Movement Control Center, administration center for cargo and worker transport MEC—Mechanical Equipment Center, the garage for snowmobiles, generators, chainsaws, and other light equipment medevac—medical evacuation

  Medical—The Medical Department; also the hospital

  Midrats—Midnight Rations; nightshift for Galley workers

  MMI (Mammoth Mountain Inn)—Another dorm with very small rooms for people with no Ice Time

  Nansen sled—A wooden type named for Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen

  Navchaps—Members of the Navy Cargo Handling and Port Group, trained to load and unload merchant breakbulk ships, container ships, and military controlled aircraft, and flown to McMurdo to assist with Ship Offload

  Nicoletti-Flater Associates—Company contracted to administer psychological screening for wintering Antarctic personnel

  NSF—National Science Foundation, manager of the United States Antarctic Program, under the Department of State

  Nunatak—an isolated mountain peak projecting through the surface of surrounding glacial ice

  Ob Tube—Observation Tube, a hollow steel cylinder about 30 feet long with internal rungs and a window near the bottom, poked through the sea ice to allow underwater views

  Offload—Annual station resupply by cargo ship

  Operation Deep Freeze—Formerly, Naval unit established in 1959 by the Department of Defense to support activities managed by the National Science Foundation in Antarctica; now designates flight support by the Air National Guard, or more generally a
ll military activities within the USAP

  OPP—Office of Polar Programs, the branch of NSF responsible for the United States Antarctic Program

  Orientation—Introductory company meeting where the employee is introduced to the stick (HR), the carrot (Finance), and to the terminology that will govern these forces

  OSHA—Occupational Safety and Health Act

  PAX—Passengers

  Pegasus—Pegasus Airfield, a blue-ice runway for wheeled aircraft on the permanent Ross Ice Shelf Pickle—M4K Case forklift, dark green

  POC—Point of Contact

  Polies—South Pole residents

  PPE—Personal Protective Equipment

  PQ’d—Physically Qualified

  Preway—Simple, nonportable space heater typically used to heat Jamesways and fish huts

  QA—Quality Assurance

  Quonset hut—Half-cylindrical building invented for military use, usually of galvanized steel sheathing over a frame of lightweight steel arch ribs

  R&R—Rest and relaxation, unpaid leave for those with winter contracts; known in Denver as “Preparatory Leave”

  Remediation—environmental clean-up

  RPSC—Raytheon Polar Services Company, USAP prime support contractor that supplanted ASA in 2000

  Sastrugi—Hard wind-formed ice ridges

  Scott Base—New Zealand base near McMurdo Station

  Silver City—emergency shelter near Scott Base on the Castle Rock ski loop, where people sometimes stay on weekends to get away from town

  Skidoo—snowmobile

  Skua—A large, aggressive gull whose predatory and scavenging nature has inspired the use of its name to refer to voracious hunting and collecting through station “skua piles” (free-piles of abandoned but reusable commodities)