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Mayor Brown Presents Final Air Quality Report On D District

Expert Analysis Finds No Adverse Impact on Facility’s Air Quality from Mold or Asbestos; New Temporary D District Will be Established in Former All Saints School in Riverside

Mayor Byron Brown today released findings of a final report on air quality and other related environmental issues by Leader Professional Service, Inc. at the Buffalo Police Department’s D District building on Hertel Avenue.

The final report confirmed earlier preliminary findings that there was “…no visible evidence of fungi overgrowth on the readily accessible areas of the main floor building materials. The air sampling results for fungi indicate that the air quality is not being adversely impacted by fungi.”

In addition, the final report found that, “Airborne asbestos was not detected at the Site.”

The final report also contained analyses on:

• Radon (“…below the applicable USEPA action level.”)
• Airborne Volatile Organic Compound concentrations (“…below applicable OSHA Permissible Exposure Levels.”)
• Drinking water quality (“…exhibited concentrations of analytes below the applicable NYS Department of Health MCLs)
• Water samples from the building’s basement (“Fecal coliform was not detected in the sample, indicating that localized groundwater is not likely being influenced by nearby sewage systems.”)
• Women’s Locker Room, Break Room and Men’s Locker Room (“The fungi samples collected …indicate four types of fungi, including Stachybotrys (“black mold”) and Mycelial fragments. However, air sampling results for fungi indicate that the air quality is not being adversely impacted by fungi.”).

“These tests have proved that there has been no adverse health impact to our Police Department personnel and support staff, based on the numerous analyses that have been conducted at D District since early last month,” said Mayor Brown. “Our first and highest priority was for the health and safety for all personnel that worked in D District and that’s why, when it was confirmed on February 12th that mold was detected underneath indoor ceiling panels, we closed the building immediately and relocated all D District personnel to a temporary location. When preliminary results of Leader’s testing were available we announced those preliminary findings on February 16th and shared that information with the Police Benevolent Association.”

Mayor Brown added, “I promised that we would share the final report of all testing on that site with the PBA, which we have done, as well give them the opportunity to conduct additional, independent testing of the site. In the meantime, based on this final report and its recommendations, we will have expert vendors provide their recommendations on remediating the D District building, detail the scope of work and then the city’s Department of Public Works will issue formal bid documents for the necessary abatement work in the building.”

The recommendations of the Leader Professional Services, Inc. are:

• Perform routine HVAC maintenance …to maintain acceptable air quality. Intake filters should be maintained and changed regularly.
• Periodic standing water in the basement should be addressed.
• Fungi-affected building materials should be cleaned to remove existing fungi growths, or, if not possible or cost-effective, properly removed.
• Areas above the first floor ceiling should be monitored for roof leakage to alleviate potential moisture sources that may have promoted fungi growth.

In addition to receiving the D District analysis final report, Mayor Brown also announced that the City of Buffalo has reached an agreement with All Saints Roman Catholic Church Society of Buffalo to house all D District personnel on temporary basis. The temporary location for D District will be in the former All Saints Catholic School, which is located at 127 Chadduck Avenue (between Tonawanda and Ontario Streets) in the Riverside section of the city.

“I thank North District Councilmember Joe Golombek who has worked tirelessly to help us find a suitable temporary location for D District operations,” said Mayor Brown. “With his commitment to the residents living within D District, the Councilmember has helped to ensure that all D District operations will take place in a location that is accessible, offers ample parking and will be best suited for the temporary home of D District.”

The space allocated to the temporary D District operations will include the lower level of the school, two offices on the first floor and parish parking lot.