On October 15, 2001, the opening of an anthrax-filled envelope released billions of deadly anthrax spores at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Within a day of receiving the notice to proceed from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CDM mobilized a team that numbered as many as 40 professionals—trained in Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements—to assist in this landmark effort to assess and eliminate the anthrax contamination. In the absence of any proven validation method, CDM worked closely with EPA and other technical experts to develop a first-of-its-kind method to prepare, place, collect, track, and test bacteriologically infused media as surrogates for anthrax spores. This precedent-setting approach—later adopted as an EPA protocol—validated the efficacy of chlorine dioxide and ethylene oxide in eradicating the deadly anthrax bacteria.
Performing under a media microscope within aggressive timeframes, CDM verified the safe remediation of contaminated areas and protected site workers under extremely hazardous conditions, reopening the building in a timely fashion with no safety incidents.
This project won the 2003 Superior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.
CLIENT: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3
LOCATION: Washington, DC