Terraphase has been assisting Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) in Nevada to address, mitigate, and manage hazardous building materials challenges with their school renovation projects. The primary focus of our involvement has been on the Tahoe Lake Elementary School modernization project.

Following the discovery of elevated lead concentrations in dust by Placer County Environmental Health Department (PCEH), construction was suspended in April 2018 by the District. While the lead had been exposed and disturbed during the construction process, it was not deemed a health risk for on-campus students or staff. Appropriate steps were taken to clearly identify the causes and extent of contamination, and a plan was developed to clean the construction site to levels that would allow construction to resume.

Scope of Services

Terraphase reviewed renovation plans and performed pre-renovation asbestos and lead surveys for several TTUSD campuses. We have conducted abatement oversight, visual clearance inspections, perimeter and clearance air sampling, and closure reporting on TTUSD’s behalf. Terraphase conducted lead hazard evaluation, remediation oversight, and validation testing oversight to confirm that the lead-affected areas were safe to reoccupy by TTUSD’s contractors and students. We finalized TTUSD’s Asbestos Management Plans and Operation and Maintenance Plans for compliance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). Our team also conducted district-wide 2-hour Asbestos Awareness Training.

Additionally, Terraphase has conducted lead in drinking water assessment for their Tahoe City Elementary School campus.

Notable Accomplishments

• Review of the site data, directing confirmation testing efforts, guiding the development of a sensible interim cleaning plan, and then assisting TTUSD in negotiating a Work Resumption Work Plan with Placer County to allow construction work to safely resume.
• Assisted TTUSD with response to PCEH’s Notice of Violation for the lead contamination issue at Tahoe Lake Elementary
• Assisted TTUSD with identifying and preventing additional environmental regulatory challenges impacting their operations, including renovation of numerous other school sites