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Materials Discussion #5
Approaches to Hazardous Materials in an Historic Context

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This Materials Discussion will include four short presentations dealing with various Hazardous Materials seen in historic architecture and objects. The following brief summaries outline the topics to be discussed:

There are a number of Hazardous Materials that are present in historic buildings. Some of these come readily to mind, while others you may not think of. This discussion will cover the history and uses of asbestos containing materials, lead based paints and other products, Heavy Metals and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and Bio- Hazardous Materials (such as guano and mold).

A presentation on the approaches to the removal of lead paint and concrete repairs in an existing historic structure in a remote setting (Sitka, Alaska) while the building was still in operations for office staff and marine life (salmon hatchery). This included containment, collection, negative air, monitoring, and OSHA compliance as well as maintaining the historic elements of the building to stay under strict guidelines of the regulatory agency providing funding of the project.

With hazardous substances not being banned in US building and integrated decorative materials until the late 1970s and 80s, conserving heritage sites and trying to retain as much original fabric as possible can be a bit of a minefield. Thorough research, materials testing, documentation, and development of work and safety plans prior to implementing treatments are vital to retaining valuable historic material (where desired) as well as ensuring ongoing public safety. This talk will discuss various approaches to identifying possible hazardous materials at historic sites as well as approaches to their removal/mitigation when required or how we address treating or encapsulating them in situ.

Older conservation and fabrication methods sometimes employed materials which were later found to be harmful to humans, such as arsenic in taxidermy. In some circumstances, objects by their very composition are hazardous, like wet specimens or mercury thermometers. Some objects can be made hazardous by their environment, such as mold. The project to be discussed involved the mitigation of all these types of hazardous conditions, either treating by them or developing a handling safety plan.

The speakers for this Materials Discussion are:

William Montley, CHMM, CIE is the Principal at Green Street Environmental (GSE) and Director. Mr. Montley has over 33 years’ experience in the environmental and construction fields and has been with GSE since 2010. He is also GSE’s technical lead on all inspection, assessment, monitoring, and remediation services involving asbestos, lead, mold, indoor air quality, and other industrial hygiene services. He has a deep understanding and extensive experience with evaluating buildings and associate structures and properties to achieve environmental regulatory compliance.

Bill Parks joined F.D. Thomas, Inc. in March of 2012. He currently serves as a VP – Division Manager of the Specialty Contracting division of F.D. Thomas, Inc. based out of Kent, WA. As Division Manager, Bill is responsible for all aspects of the division. This responsibility includes control of all projects and production through estimating, pre-job planning, scheduling, monitoring, and reporting. He ensures that production and budgeting requirements are maintained through the duration of the project and to ensure that every effort is made to meet customer expectation in service and performance.

Christina Varvi is a Principal Conservator for RLA Conservation and a Professional Associate of the AIC. She holds an M.S. in Historic Preservation with a concentration in Materials Conservation from Columbia University. With RLA since 2011, she is lead onsite conservator for all projects west of the Mississippi River, including Alaska and Hawaii. She is a specialist in modern architectural materials, such as linoleum and synthetic finishes, outdoor sculpture planning, treatment, and surveys, as well as large-scale mosaics conservation and architecture surveys, testing, and specification development.  She has lectured extensively at national and regional conferences on various public art and historic architecture projects completed with RLA and is published in an international journal for her work with large, integrated mosaics as well as a book on the care of outdoor sculpture parks. 

Julie Flynn is an Objects Conservator for RLA Conservation and holds a 2014 M.A. in Principles of Conservation and a 2016 M.Sc. in Conservation for Museums and Archaeology from University College London in the U.K. She joined RLA in 2018 and works on various types of objects from contemporary art to archaeological and historical objects. Prior to RLA, she worked at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, in St. Leonard, Maryland, as a Petroglyph Project Conservator. While at RLA, she has worked on variety of projects including taxidermy, wet specimens, and historical objects for the National Park Service as the project conservator.