Located in a major residential area, the former Piqua Memorial Hospital stood vacant for approximately two decades. The City of Piqua owned the property and wanted to redevelop it for another use.
The City selected Burgess & Niple (B&N) to conduct a Phase II Property Assessment and assist with the preparation of a Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF) grant to be used for the deconstruction and remediation of the site.
Prior to the City owning the property, a contractor released asbestos fibers throughout the building while removing salvageable materials. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) performed an emergency cleanup of the asbestos materials outside the building and removed biomedical wastes, universal wastes, and other associated wastes from within the building.
Even though USEPA performed an emergency removal, materials associated with hospital operations, such as hazardous waste, x-ray machines, radioisotopes and the potential presence of nuclear materials could not be fully inventoried. B&N investigated the site to ensure that materials were removed properly, identified and quantified.
The medical records left behind were contaminated with asbestos fibers and black mold. Due to regulations associated with a former hospital, B&N worked closely with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Department of Health to dispose of the contaminated records while remaining in compliance. The files were handled in accordance with HIPAA laws regarding patient privacy and were shredded, destroyed, and disposed of as asbestos-containing materials.
Remedial actions at the site included asbestos abatement, removal and disposal of various wastes from former hospital operations, removal of building foundations and final grading of the property.
A CORF application was prepared, submitted for consideration and a grant was awarded to the City. Two buildings and a foundation were removed and the site now meets the Voluntary Action Program standards for unlimited residential use. The property was sold to the Piqua City School District and a new intermediate neighborhood school has been constructed on the site.