The Van Ness South Tenants Association today sent a letter to 3003 Van Ness building manager Josh Luper, requesting that Equity Residential stop work on the exterior façade until the company can implement procedures to contain potentially hazardous silica dust.
Equity has claimed that its contractor uses dust mitigation techniques such as HEPA vacuum systems and “dustless shrouds,” but there is no evidence that such equipment is being used. Meanwhile, fine dust billows from the construction site.
In 2013, Equity Residential was fined by the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for failing to contain silica dust during maintenance work on exterior balconies. The tenants association recorded extensive video of construction work without dust mitigation, which led to the investigation.
Follow up: The following day, Feb. 27th, 3003 Van Ness Building Manager responded to letter from the tenants association saying claiming that: “mortar removal by saw-cutting will employ hand-held diamond-blade angle grinders attached to dustless shrouds and HEPA vacuum systems which are industry specific for the arrest and collection of fugitive dust.” Moreover, he wrote that:
“We are confident that the facade work at 3003 Van Ness is being performed in accordance with regulations to keep respirable crystalline silica within permissible levels. Our construction team has confirmed that the facade contractor is using appropriate engineering controls and work practices to mitigate dust during brick and mortar removal. We have kept DCRA apprised of this work as well.”
When Equity Residential did work on the concrete balconies in 2013, dust the fact that dusts was getting into residents’ apartments, the company claimed that it was using all proper cautions to contain dust. However, the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs disagreed, forcing Equity to change its procedures in order to capture dust.
To be clear, that work currently being done does not seem to create as much dust as the balcony work in 2013. Nevertheless, the tenants association will continue to watch the situation closely, because silica dust can be carcinogenic and also very annoying if it gets into apartments. Here is some vivid video of mass amounts of dust during the 2013 construction:
Work on the balconies at 3003 Van Ness continues to generate clouds of dust, even after a settlement with the city to stop create so much construction dust and to use dust mitigation techniques.