Omega Environmental Asbestos Removal for Occidental College Eliminates the Health Hazard & Saves $900,000 in the Process
The Problem
Occidental College’s Swan Hall was built in 1914 and had sustained damage from numerous earthquakes throughout the years. When the college commissioned a $21 million renovation project to remodel the hall and ensure that it would be seismically sound, the project also included demolition and asbestos and lead removal.
Asbestos and lead paint was found throughout the building, in insulation, electrical joints, mechanical joints for piping and sewer, and both wall and floor surfaces. Asbestos-containing drywall, ceilings, stucco, and flooring, as well as the lead paint, had to be removed before the seismic work could be done.
The college solicited quotes from a handful of other environmental remediation firms, but the project’s construction manager thought they were overpriced. The construction manager turned to Omega Environmental principal, Steve Rosas., whom he’d worked with on several other projects. Within two weeks, Rosas provided an estimate that was $900,000 less.
The construction manager drilled down into the estimates. “When I see a discrepancy in quoted numbers, I ask the middle guy all about scope. I interview the low guy to get clarification and verification,” he said. “Omega Environmental actually had better staging and completion times than the other guys, and time is money so I factored that into the cost. I interviewed both companies with the college to show due diligence, and so they could choose a responsible company. They chose Omega Environmental.”
Rosas “is a straight shooter,” the construction manager said. “He wants to make a reasonable profit, do a good job and then move on – a rarity in our industry.”
NOTE: Omega Environmental does not try to win projects based on price. With over 200 years of collective experience in the assessment and remediation of asbestos, lead and other hazardous materials, the company’s quotes are driven by expertise into how to produce the best results as efficiently as possible. While the company is not typically the high bidder, it is rarely the lowest.
The Solution
After 4.5 months, the work was completed.
“Omega had a great crew on the job—as many as 25 because Omega has access to available talent,” the construction manager recalled.
“They were very prudent on what they were doing. Hazardous material exposure was limited, nothing went outside and all tests were successful—the AQMD was satisfied. Omega is top drawer—you don’t have to worry about Steve and his people performing professionally and safely.”
Occidental College, he said, was “ecstatic” over the results, which included a savings of at least $900,000 based on the other estimates. The college was able to put the savings toward other improvements for Swan Hall, including a media wall, computers and furniture. It was like “finding a pot of gold,” the manager said.
“Steve’s team closed things up extremely well; he had good people in the field and in the office.” A sign-off process that can take months when it’s not carefully tracked, took Omega only a few days, he said. From deadlines to costing accuracy to expertise, Omega’s work left everyone involved impressed.
Occidental College has continued to work with Omega on other projects, including Johnson Hall and dormitories.
About Omega Environmental
If you have hazardous material problems or other environmental concerns, you’ve come to the right place. Omega offers 24/7 support, including hazardous material assessments and remediation services to ensure environmental compliance and protect your people. Omega conducts environmental needs assessments to determine your exposure to asbestos, lead, mold, PCBs, and other toxic materials. Omega will then identify what is needed to remediate as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. The Omega management team includes two PhDs, has over 200 years of experience assessing and removing hazardous materials, and projects are always completed on time, within budget.
