LVI SERVICES DEPLOYS MORE THAN 2,100 WORKERS FOR HURRICANE CLEANUP AND RESTORATION ON GULF COAST
10/11/2005
Environmental contractor helps property owners evaluate damage and
"get the mold out" through cleaning, drying, materials removal and demolition
NEW YORK - LVI Services Inc., one of the nation's largest environmental services and restoration firms, has approximately 2,150 workers on the ground in the Gulf Coast region engaged in Hurricane Katrina and Rita cleanup and restoration projects.
LVI is currently involved in large-scale cleanup projects at hospitals, hotels, resorts, retail outlets, municipal buildings and businesses in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Projects are being coordinated out of the company's Houston regional office, and office and warehouse facilities and mobile Emergency Command Centers located throughout the affected areas.
LVI has opened a new 27,000-square-foot office and warehouse facility in Saint Rose, La., just outside of New Orleans, in support of the company's activities in New Orleans, and Gulfport and Biloxi, Miss. A new 8,000-square-foot office/warehouse facility in Port Arthur, Texas, is supporting the company's response efforts in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, and Lake Charles, La., as well as surrounding areas.
The mobile centers in the field feature computers, satellite phone uplinks, bathroom facilities and biometric time keeping systems, which help facilitate the personnel and payroll requirements of a mobile work force. The company has also deployed its own diesel fuel tanker truck to keep its equipment operating. To accommodate its work force, the company is using 20 mobile sleepers, located just outside of New Orleans, that house 840 workers. The sleepers are equipped with their own power sources, air conditioning and heating.
"We have seen utter devastation on the Gulf Coast," said Burton T. Fried, president of LVI Services. "The cleanup from last year's hurricanes in Florida is a small fraction of the work that will be necessary this time, as property owners are still evaluating exactly how bad their situation is. We're on the ground now working to help rebuild the business and commercial infrastructure that is necessary for the citizens to reestablish their livelihoods after this unprecedented disaster."
Of paramount concern at this time is mold growth due to moisture from the rain, flooding and storm surge, a humid climate, and lack of air conditioning. Property owners should take the necessary precautions and actions now during initial cleanup and restoration to prevent future problems.
"As property owners in the affected areas are in the process of assessing damage caused by Katrina and Rita, now is the time to look at the longer-term potential impact of mold," said Fried. "While many structures have been obliterated or so severely damaged that demolition may be the only option, others have been water-logged, creating a breeding ground for mold, which can cause or aggravate health problems and compromise the integrity of a building."
LVI recommends that:
" Property owners should accelerate the drying process and get air circulating as soon as possible.
" If little or no progress is being made, an outside contractor will probably be needed.
" Any material that water has soaked into, especially highly porous building materials such as carpets and pads, ceiling tiles, drywall, and insulation, should be discarded. These are rarely recoverable and, even if they look fine on the surface, they can be sources of long-term mold growth.
LVI, with more than 25 offices across the U.S., specializes in water damage cleanup, mold remediation, demolition, and lead paint and asbestos abatement. Customers of LVI include hotels, casinos, hospitals, schools and various commercial property owners. Organizations that need help with large-scale cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Katrina and Rita can call LVI Environmental at 1-800-283-2933.
LVI's past experiences have allowed the company to move aggressively to deploy a trained work force, equipment, building materials, administrative staff, and health and safety resources to the area. The ability to bring all of these components together stems from LVI's experience in responding to the four hurricanes that struck Florida in six weeks last year; Tropical Storm Allison in Houston in 2001; and Super Typhoon Pongsona on Guam in 2002.
About LVI Services
LVI Services Inc. is the United States' leading provider of a wide array of integrated facility services, including environmental remediation, demolition and related services for commercial, industrial, multi-family residential and governmental facilities. LVI focuses on projects involving asbestos, lead paint, mold, infection control, hazardous materials, fire and water restoration, and demolition. Founded in 1986, LVI has more than 25 offices across the United States, is licensed in every state, and is experienced in responding to natural and manmade disasters around the world. The company's annual revenues exceed $300 million. For more information, visit www.lviservices.com.
Editor's note:
LVI experts, including those on the Gulf Coast and at company headquarters in New York City, are available to talk about the scope of the damage, what the needs are, what services LVI is providing, best practices for recovery and the mold problem.