178 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 24, § 006

Current through September 17, 2024

Section 178-24-006 - SITE DECONTAMINATION

A property owner who performs site decontamination must contact the local public health department to ensure all applicable local, state, and federal regulations are complied with in the decontamination process.

006.01PHASE 1 - REMOVAL OF ITEMS FOR DISPOSAL. In order to remove items for disposal, the property owner or a decontamination consultant must:

(A) Complete a thorough assessment of the property for sharps. Care must be taken to identify sharps that are hidden or stored in obscure places that pose a hazard to decontamination workers. Sharps must not be handled directly. Tongs or pliers must be used to pick up sharps. Sharps must be placed in a labeled puncture-proof container and sealed for proper disposal;

(B) Remove all household chemical products. Some materials require special handling and disposal. The local public health department and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy must be contacted for guidance on identifying, handling, and disposal of these substances;

(C) Remove and dispose of all general site debris;

(D) Remove and dispose of all items that cannot be properly decontaminated. These items include but are not limited to:

(i) Window mounted air conditioning units;

(ii) Ceiling fans; and

(iii) Drop in or acoustic ceiling tiles;

(E) Remove and dispose of all fabric items from the cooking area. No attempt must be made to remove stains from porous fabric items or other items that can be easily disposed of.

(F) Place debris, fabric items from the cooking area, and items that cannot be properly decontaminated, as listed in this chapter, in a container. The container must not be accessible to the public when placed outside of the structure. Dumpsters must be covered and locked while awaiting disposal; and

(G) Disconnect electricity to the contaminated area, if possible. All electrical outlets and light fixtures must be covered to prevent exposure to water during cleaning.

006.02PHASE 2 - CLEANING PROCEDURES. The property owner or decontamination consultant must adhere to the following cleaning procedures.

006.02(A)RECONTAMINATION PREVENTION. One room must be cleaned at a time. When complete, the door must be closed and the room isolated to prevent recontamination.

006.02(B)CLEANING SOLUTION. A water-based mixture with a potential hydrogen (pH) greater than 7 must be used to remove the oily residue that remains after cooking methamphetamine and for neutralizing many of the remaining chemicals.

006.02(C)AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS. The procedures for cleaning air distribution and ventilation systems are as follows.

(i) The air distribution system and ventilation systems must be turned off and remain off throughout the decontamination process;

(ii) All air filters must be removed and properly disposed of;

(iii) All air registers must be removed and cleaned with detergent and water solution and rinsed thoroughly. This procedure must be repeated two additional times, using new detergent solution and rinse water each time;

(iv) A fan-powered high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system must be connected to the ductwork to develop negative air pressure to aid in removal of particulates;

(v) Rotary brushes or other forms of mechanical agitators must be inserted into all ductwork openings to loosen and remove particulates;

(vi) All ductwork openings must be sealed off using polyethylene sheeting with a minimum thickness of 4-mil (0.004 inch) thickness to prevent recontamination until further decontamination work at the site has been completed;

(vii) After cleaning, the decontamination consultant must test surfaces in the air distribution system and the ventilation systems for the presence of methamphetamine; and

(viii) The decontamination consultant must provide the results to the local public health department.

006.02(D)REMOVABLE ITEMS. The procedures for cleaning removable items are as follows.

(i) All removable items that are not disposed of must be cleaned by both high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuuming and, following all manufacturers' guidelines, one of the following methods:

(1) Steam cleaning with a hot water and detergent solution and extraction by wet vacuum;

(2) Wash in a washing machine or dishwasher with hot water and a detergent solution; or

(3) For non-porous surfaces only, wash by wiping down with hot water and an alkaline aqueous cleaning solution;

(ii) Items as described in 178 NAC 24-006.03(D)(i) must then be moved out of the room prior to continuing with decontamination of the ceiling, walls, and floors;

(iii) After cleaning, the decontamination consultant must test all items for the presence of methamphetamine; and

(iv) The decontamination consultant must provide the results to the local public health department.

006.02(E)SURFACE CLEANING. The procedures for cleaning of surfaces are as follows.

(i) Other than concrete flooring, the floor of the room must be covered with polyethylene sheeting with a minimum thickness of 4-mil (0.004 inch) and taped onto the baseboard to contain excess solution while rinsing the ceiling and walls;

(ii) An alkaline aqueous cleaning solution must be applied to all remaining exposed surfaces, ceilings, walls, doors, windows and closets. A sprayer must be used for applying the cleaning solution. The solution must be left on the surfaces for a minimum of 10 minutes prior to removal;

(iii) Beginning at the ceiling, all surfaces must be scrubbed, including walls, windows, doors and closets;

(iv) An extraction machine, similar to a carpet-cleaning machine that simultaneously rinses and collects the rinsate in the attachment, or pressure washer must be used to rinse and extract the contamination from the scrubbed surfaces. Heated water must be used to effectively remove the oily residue. Two decontamination workers must be used, one to rinse and the other to wet vacuum. Rinsing and extraction must be completed in one direction to remove contamination without redistributing it to decontaminated areas;

(v) The polyethylene sheeting must then be removed and the decontamination process repeated for the floor. Rinsing and extraction must be completed in one direction to remove contamination without redistributing it to decontaminated areas;

(vi) Adjustment of the potential hydrogen (pH) and dilution may be required before disposal of the extracted liquid to a drain. The local public health department and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy must be contacted prior to disposal;

(vii) When the cleaning procedures are complete, the windows to the structure must be opened, and fans set up to ventilate the site for a minimum of 24 hours, to draw out excess moisture generated during the cleaning procedures;

(viii) After cleaning, the decontamination consultant must test surfaces for the presence of methamphetamine; and

(ix) The decontamination consultant must provide the results to the local public health department.

006.02(F)PLUMBING AND SEPTIC SYSTEM CLEANING. The procedures for cleaning plumbing and septic systems are as follows.

(i) The accessible plumbing components, traps, where chemicals of potential concern have been disposed of must be cleaned and tested to meet the standards specified in this chapter; and

(ii) The septic system, if present, must be pumped as part of the decontamination. The system must be pumped prior to site cleaning and again after completion of site decontamination to avoid overflow into the absorption field. Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy regulations must be met in order to protect ground water. Additional oversight by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy may be required.

006.02(G)SOIL DECONTAMINATION. The procedures for decontaminating soil are as follows.

(i) To ensure compliance with Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy regulations, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy must be consulted regarding removal of contamination in, or decontamination of:

(1) Burn areas;

(2) Trash areas; and

(3) Dump sites;

(ii) If soil or ground water cleanup is required, the cleanup standards selected must be:

(1) At or below background concentration; or

(2) Equal to or less than state regulatory standards of 178 NAC 24-009, if applicable, and if not applicable, federal risk-based standards outlined in the United States Environmental Protection Agency Risk-Based Concentrations Table for residential, or if relevant, industrial exposure. The United States Environmental Protection Agency table is available for viewing at the following web address: https://www.epa.gov/risk/regional-screening-levels-rsls-generic-tables.

(iii) Alternative values may be proposed but approval is required by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

178 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 24, § 006

Amended effective 6/14/2023