Aviron Warehouse Conversion, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The process of converting a vacant warehouse into one for the manufacture and storage of live virus vaccines required a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), chemical testing of potentially contaminated soils, and an evaluation of the load-carrying capacity of the existing floor slab subgrade to support new freezers.

Although no Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) were identified during the Phase I ESA, traces of metal and hydrocarbon contamination were found in a few subgrade samples taken below the floor during our bearing capacity evaluations. Subsequent chemical testing detected metals and compounds at or below the Clean Fill Levels set by Act 2 Statewide Health Standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. On this basis, no further testing or research was necessary and the soils excavated during construction of new foundations and slabs for virus refrigeration units were safely disposed off-site as clean fill without restrictions.