Document jgvDXB3MZmZ4DqXx9zXpQK27R

BELLIA AND SONS 609 654 1003 W. B. R. ENGINEERING Inc. e c.k.a. AsaeaTO* iivtfa/>iuciit.i/1< Management Consultants 2.14 Kt.. VO Medford, Now Jersey 00055 (G09) 95.1-5355 I AIR WATER - ENERGY - INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE . NOISE - WASTE O.S.N, A. INCINERATION DESIGN OF AIR / ENERGY-/NOISC POLLUTION CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIFICATION* / DRAWINGS/ PERMITS INTERIM MANAGEMENT October 2, 1992 TO: Mr. Norman Hubley, Attorney Ms. Antoinette Hubbard, Attorney Warner & Stackpole 75 State Street Boston, MA 02109 Ref: BIRD ASBESTOS REPORT #531 This is the promised follow-up to our 9/30/92 meeting at Bird, Inc., Norwood, MA. W.B.R. ENGINEERING INC- REPORT #430 stated in its CONCLUSION on Page 12 that there were no loose asbestos fibers on the felt but there were about 4,688 asbestos fibers/sq. inch visible on the surface after abrasion on the Bird 45 lb. Asphalt Base Sheet tested in February, 1992. It also stated that most of the exposed fibers were still secured to the asphalt sealer. It is the opinion of this consultant that a roofer working outdoors would never normally surface scrape the roofing felt, as was done in our "worst case" test. The roofer might cut the felt with a knife or scissor^- thereby exposing an area of about l/16th inch thick multiplied by the length of the cut. In our test the surface was abraided 5 times with a sharp scalpel to determine if the asbestos fibers were still secured to the felt. Our results were that "most" were still secured (encapsulated) in the felt. If you ask for a number instead of the word "most", we would say at' least 8096. We believe a roofer, working outdoors in fresh air, would re ceive a greater exposure to asbestos from asbestos fibers normally in the ambient air than he would from cutting asbestos containing roofing felt in which the asbestos fibers were thermally sealed-in in the manufacturing process. That thermal sealing of the asbestos fibers was achieved in the felt manufacturing plant by: 1) the felt being saturated on both sides in hot 450F asphalt 4 times or more during manufacture. 2) then both sides of the felt were rubbed along a metal bar to force the asphalt into the pores of the felt. !|JPE:#I'043 PA PE II425E NY PE, 047480 MA PE * 27423 Mr. Norman Hubley, Attorney Ms. Antoinette Hubbard, Attorney Warner & Stackpole REPORT #531 October 2, 1992 3) Item 1) was repeated again 4) Item 2) was repeated again 5) then it was tightly pulled over dozens of chilled water rollers to cool and "set" the felt into a smooth black surface. When one considers that a normal person in a typical non asbestos working environment will breathe from 9,000 to 27,000 asbestos fibers every day (as explained in REPORT #430), this consultant believes a roofer's exposure to asbestos fil .'s in the asphaltic roofing paper is very small compared to a level of asbestos in the ambient air. That statement is bas<=o on; 1) MOST (estimated 80% or more) of the asbestos fibers are still secured to the felt paper. 2) the roofer's nose-is not close to the asbestos fibers which may come loose from or break off from the felt paper. 3) the roofer normally works outdoors where most of the time the wind, even very little wind, will blow away and disperse those asbestos fibers. WBR