Preparing Your Home for Wildfires

Posted by STN Admin on

If you live in rural California during the wildfire season, you should be aware of wildfires and how to properly prepare for their arrival. While many rural settings are prone to wildfires, California’s combination of elevation and dry climate make it more likely that wildfires will occur. The question is, what can homeowners do about protecting their property and families from the ravages of a wildfire? 

Wildfires damage homes in three different ways. By direct contact with flame, the embers that are generated by the fire, and the radiant head pushed by the winds into your home. The action you take to protect your property will depend on the following scenarios. 

Identifying the Risks

Places subject to wildfires means they will have fire seasons established which identifies the time of the year for higher risk. In California, fire season is from May to October with the combination of summer heat, high winds, and lack of rainfall that comes with that time. However, wildfires can happen at any time of the year under the right conditions. 

Next is location. How close is your property to areas that are prone to wildfires? The closer it is, the more precautions you should take and check to see the vulnerability of where you live to wildfires. 

Taking Appropriate Action 

There are steps you can take to make your property more resilient to fire damage. Taking these steps will reduce the potential damage to your home. 

Remove Combustible Materials: This includes leaf litter, lawn furniture, and garbage during fire season. The less fuel a fire has, the less damage it can do. 

Place Fire-Resistant Materials: There are materials used in home construction that resist embers and even direct contact by fire. Such materials should be incorporated into the walls and roof of your home. 

Create Defendable Space: This is an area that surrounds your home where firefighters can place their equipment to minimize the fire damage. It also provides a way out of the property if a wildfire appears suddenly. It also buys time as the wildfire must cross the space to reach your home. 

But such barriers and the use of non-combustible materials do not provide complete protection. You will need to leave if a wildfire is in your area. 

Have an Evacuation Plan 

Even the best prepared homes may not be enough to prevent wildfires from consuming your property. You will need to have an evacuation plan that can be executed at a moment’s notice. While many wildfire warnings allow for some time to prepare and leave, others do not. You will need to be ready to go immediately if a wildfire threatens your area. 

  • Have Emergency Kits in Your Home and Vehicle 
  • Keep Extra Gas in Your Vehicle to Avoid Stopping at the Nearest Gas Station
  • Train Family to Leave within a Moment’s Notice 
  • Know Your Evacuation Routes 

Proper preparation and leaving immediately can save you and your family from a wildfire. The preparation work you put into your property beforehand will do its best to prevent wildfires from damaging your home. Your presence on the property only puts you in danger. Do what you can before a wildfire begins and know to leave immediately once a wildfire heads in your direction. 

Contact Brickley Environmental Today 

With numerous dangers facing your home or business, calling the professionals at Brickley Environmental is a good place to start. We offer our knowledge and experience along with the tools to detect and remove infestations of various types. The services provided by Brickley Environmental include the following. 

  • Asbestos Abatement
  • Mold Remediation
  • Lead-Based Paint Removal 
  • Demolition 
  • Hazardous Waste Removal

If you are facing any of these issues, call Brickley Environmental today. Our friendly, courteous staff will take your call and answer your questions, so you can make the best-informed decision about what to do next. At Brickley Environmental, we are here to help you

What You Need to Know About California’s Zero Emission Vehicle Program

Posted by STN Admin on

For California residents, zero-emission vehicles have now become part of the future. This type of vehicle, sometimes called a ZEV, is the goal for all California car owners by 2035. The initiative represents the culmination of three decades of legislative work for the state of California. 

But what does this mean for California drivers? The answer begins with a brief history of how the state got to the policy of zero emissions. Plus, what exactly is a ZEV and how does it help to reduce emissions? 

History

The road towards zero-emission vehicles began in 1990 as part of California’s Air Resource Board or CARB requirements. Since then, there have been modifications to the initiative, most notably in 2012 that have combined with two bills known as the Advanced Clean Car Regulations. 

The result is that California became the first state in the US to actively pursue a zero-emission policy through the promotion of the ZEV or zero emission vehicles. That policy was augmented to what it is today through the passage of legislation that will outlaw the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles by 2035. 

What is a ZEV?

Zero-emission vehicles constitute cars and trucks consist of three different types. 

  • 100% Battery Power
  • Hydrogen Power
  • Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles: w/Ultra-Low Smog Forming & GHG Pollutants

In essence, a ZEV produces no emissions that translate to an increase in GHG or pollutants that form smog or other irritants in the atmosphere. This includes all cars and light duty trucks to be sold in the state. 

What Changes Can We Expect? 

The Advanced Clean Cars II regulations which were adopted in 2022 will start applying their standards in 2026 and gradually increase to 100% by 2035. The timeline for implementation is as follows. 

  • 2026: 35% of all new vehicles sold must be zero-emissions
  • 2030: 68% of all new vehicles sold must be zero-emissions
  • 2035: 100% of all new vehicles sold must be zero-emissions

To accomplish this task, California’s electric grid and powering stations must be increased dramatically. As the shift from fossil fueled vehicles to electricity will require tripling the number of power plants across the state. 

Plus, an estimated 1.2 million chargers will be needed to support the full transition to electrically powered vehicles. In addition, there will need to be a vast increase in the number of hydrogen stations as well to accommodate vehicles powered from clean hydrogen energy. 

How It Impacts You?

The bottom line is that zero-emission vehicles are part of California’s future. Which means by 2035 if you wish to purchase a new vehicle, it will need to be either battery or hydrogen powered. However, the used car market is still intact under the emission guidelines. Plus, you can purchase new fossil fuel vehicles in other states unless the regulations change. 

If all goes according to plan, a typical ZEV will have well over a million charging stations along with your residence to find the power needed for travel. The future of travel in California will be with zero-emission vehicles. 

Contact Brickley Environmental Today 

With numerous dangers facing your home or business, calling the professionals at Brickley Environmental is a good place to start. We offer our knowledge and experience along with the tools to detect and remove infestations of various types. The services provided by Brickley Environmental include the following. 

  • Asbestos Abatement
  • Mold Remediation
  • Lead-Based Paint Removal 
  • Demolition 
  • Hazardous Waste Removal

If you are facing any of these issues, call Brickley Environmental today. Our friendly, courteous staff will take your call and answer your questions, so you can make the best-informed decision about what to do next. At Brickley Environmental, we are here to help you.

 

Lead Poisoning Spreading Among California Workers

Posted by STN Admin on

Of the many issues facing the residents of California, one of the most insidious is the expansion of lead poisoning throughout various businesses and into the surrounding communities. While lead itself is an important metal used in various fields, the side effects of exposure have proven to be quite harmful to adults and children.

The increase in lead poisoning cases results from a combination of poor industrial management and a failure of state agencies to act on the problem, even when informed. Only up until recently has new legislation been introduced, but the damage has already been done.

Cases of Lead Poisoning

In Vernon, California, hundreds of employees at a former Exide battery recycling plant had been exposed to lead poisoning for decades. Unfortunately, state officials knew about this issue but failed to do anything about it. A recent investigation, using data from the California Department of Public Health, revealed that around 80 companies, perhaps more, have exposed their employees to lead poisoning with levels high enough to cause brain disorders, tremors, and birth defects.

Of the different businesses that had issues with lead poisoning, car battery recycling plants were among the worst offenders. In addition to the plants, nearby residential areas have also been contaminated with higher than normal levels of lead in the water system. The Bay Area has experienced a series of issues with lead poisoning, leading to at least 12 cases of employees being exposed during work. In addition, an indoor gun range in Milpitas has experienced at least 25 cases of lead poisoning.

Legislative Action

The Assembly Bill 2963 requires inspections of workplaces where an employee’s level of lead in the bloodstream reaches 25 micrograms per deciliter or higher. The US Centers for Disease Control recommends 10 micrograms per deciliter is enough to cause health issues such as the following;

  • Heart Disease
  • Kidney Disease
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Reduced Fertility

Opposition from industry groups made it tough going, but it did pass the Assembly by one vote. The bill is expected to get through the Senate and become law with the support of Governor Jerry Brown. At the very least, the bill will help state agencies to address the growing issue of lead contamination from various sources and businesses in California.

How Brickley Environmental Can Help

If you suspect lead poisoning in your home, office, or facility, contact the experts at Brickley Environmental. We offer the best in inspection services that identify lead poisoning, among other contaminants, and offer removal services to clear it from your residence or commercial building.

Potential Lead Poisoning in California Drinking Water

Posted by Cleo Spencer on

It started in a San Diego grade school when a therapy dog refused to drink the water. The water was tested and found to have polyvinyl chloride, a polymer used in PVC pipes that degrades over time. However, the testing also revealed something the dog did not smell, the presence of lead.

The elevated levels of lead in the drinking water were not only present in that school, but in other schools in the Southern California area, including Los Angeles. Lead is a neurotoxin that causes brain damage and developmental disorders even in the smallest amounts, so the discovery of the lead has caused great concern, much like it did in Flint, Michigan.

History of Lead Poisoning

Lead has been a part of human history for thousands of years, but the effects of lead were not fully realized until about a half-century ago. In the early 1970s, lead was banned from most substances, including paint. Children became sick after being exposed to the dry, peeling lead paint in older homes.

The presence of lead in drinking water is mostly associated with older buildings that also used lead pipes or other materials made from lead that interacted with the water and have slowly degraded over time. Since lead was banned its presence still crops up from time to time, mostly in drinking water.

How California Is Responding

Two bills have been presented into the California State Legislature. The first, AB 1316, calls for the Public Health Department to ask doctors across the state to do more investigating into potential lead exposure of children under their care. This would include testing children that may have been in contact with lead.

The second bill, AB 746, requires that all school districts immediately test the water for any presence of lead. If a lead contaminated source is found, it will need to be addressed immediately. So far, 2% of all children tested in California has shown some signs of lead exposure. This is mostly true for Southern California children, particularly those in Monterey, Humboldt, and Los Angeles counties. A zip code in Fresno showed that 14% of the children had been exposed to elevated levels of lead.

The main problem faced by California now is a lack of knowledge about the different potential sources of the lead. By testing children they will hopefully find where the lead sources are located so they can be properly addressed. Catching exposure to lead early leads to treatments that may minimize damage, although there is no cure yet.

If you are concerned about the potential for lead in your drinking water, contact the professionals at Brickley Environmental. They have the tools, equipment, and professional training to detect issues with your drinking water and act to remove it from the building. Do not let another day go by if you believe your water should be tested, call Brickley Environmental today!

Cal Osha’s Enforcement of Asbestos Standards

Posted by Cleo Spencer on

According to the Department of Industrial Relations, The Division of Occupational Safety and Health administers a number of programs which are aimed at prevention of exposure to asbestos fibers in the workplace.

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health administers a number of programs which are aimed at prevention of exposure to asbestos fibers in the workplace.

Enforcement of asbestos standards

The Cal/OSHA enforcement unit enforces California’s Asbestos Standards in Construction (8 CCR Section 1529), Shipyards (8 CCR Section 8358) and General Industry (8 CCR Section 5208).

The Cal/OSHA enforcement unit also enforces the General Industry Standard relating to Non-Asbestiform Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite (8 CCR Section 5208.1).

If you wish to file a complaint with Cal/OSHA about exposure to asbestos fibers or non-abestotiform fibers in your workplace, contact the Cal/OSHA enforcement unit district office nearest to your workplace.

Asbestos contractor registration

For contractors and employers who remove asbestos (having an asbestos fiber content of more than 0.1% and greater than 100 square feet in extent), see asbestos contractor registration.

Asbestos consultant and site surveillance technician certification

Consultants planning and overseeing asbestos removal projects greater than 100 square feet in extent, see asbestos Consultant and site surveillance technician certification to view the certified consultant and site surveillance technician database. See also applicable Title 8 regulations (8 CCR Sections 1529(q) and 341.15.

Asbestos trainers approval

To obtain information about the division’s program for approving asbestos trainers, see asbestos trainers approval.

Asbestos Removal

At Brickley Environmental, we have 30 plus years’ experience providing environmental remediation services in Southern California, and asbestos abatement has been our primary focus.

All of our managers, supervisors and technicians have been trained and certified in asbestos containment and removal at EPA- and state-approved schools. In addition, our company has one of the best safety records in the industry. We abide by all Cal Osha’s standards!

Contact an expert today by calling 1.800.530.3366

About Brickley Environmental

Brickley Environmental creates safe-and-sound schools, homes, and buildings by designing and executing safe, cost-effective containment, abatement and removal solutions. We do it right the first time — making your profits predictable while supporting your ethical standards and reputation for excellence — and have served Southern California for over 30 years.