Project Background
Claxton Elementary School in Greensboro, North Carolina, originally opened in 1960 and was replaced with a new facility in 2024.
The project was part of Guilford County Schools’ $2 billion bond program. Claxton’s rebuild was budgeted at $50 million.
Before replacement of the previous school, the aging facility experienced frequent HVAC failures and persistent roof leaks that disrupted instruction and required ongoing repairs.
To support redevelopment of the more than 60-year-old campus, S&ME helped prepare the site for construction by providing environmental and asbestos consulting and design services.
Asbestos Assessment & Abatement Consulting
S&ME provided full-service asbestos consultation for the old Claxton Elementary School prior to demolition. The asbestos assessment included the interior, exterior, and roof of the structures compliant with EPA National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP).
Our Industrial Hygienists developed a visual assessment and sampling strategy to identify suspect asbestos-containing materials (ACM). After identification of ACM present in the school buildings, S&ME prepared an asbestos abatement design to support the removal of the materials. During abatement of the identified ACM, S&ME performed asbestos air monitoring.
Asbestos Assessment services included:
- Collection and analysis of over 350 asbestos sample layers at an accredited laboratory using polarized light microscopy (PLM) to identify asbestos fibers.
- Quantification and mapping of identified ACM.
Asbestos Abatement Design services included:
- Preparation of an asbestos abatement design to support the removal of identified ACM.
- The design included, but was not limited to, containment measures, means and methods of removal and disposal, regulatory compliance requirements, as well as figures depicting locations of identified ACM.
Air Monitoring during abatement:
S&ME provided full-time asbestos air monitoring during abatement activities. Services were performed in accordance with OSHA and EPA (NESHAP and AHERA regulations for school buildings), and state regulations.
- Collection of daily air samples inside and outside of the asbestos containment; Analysis of daily air samples via phase contrast microscopy (PCM) using NIOSH Method 7400.
- Visual inspections of containments and work areas after the removal and fine cleaning.
- Air sampling clearances using PCM analysis after satisfactory visual inspections of containments.
Removal of an Underground Storage Tank
S&ME supported the permanent closure of a 10,000-gallon heating-oil underground storage tank (UST) at Claxton Elementary School in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Closure activities were completed in accordance with North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) UST requirements:
- Inspection of the tank for evidence of corrosion or holes.
- Collection of soil samples beneath the UST and along product lines.
- Field screening using a photo-ionization detector to measure volatile organic vapors.
- Laboratory testing for total petroleum hydrocarbons as gasoline range organics and diesel range organics.
Analytical data were used to confirm a clean closure or identify evidence of a release. Field observations, findings, and laboratory results were evaluated against NCDEQ regulatory action levels, and S&ME compiled the results in formal closure documentation.