About Us
Mission Statement
Enpaq specializes in environmental consulting and demolition, having the ability to accurately assess indoor environmental quality while safely and efficiently handling selective interior demolition. It is Enpaq’s mission to provide superior service through safe, cost-effective, and innovative solutions to maximize results while minimizing risk for our clients.
Proud member of these associations:
About Us
As an MBE environmental consulting firm in St. Louis City & St. Louis County, we are the consultant and “missing piece” between building owners or general contractors and asbestos abatement contractors at the start of a project. Throughout the life of a project, you need an expert on hazardous materials (asbestos, mold, lead and others) and how to correctly remediate these to keep a healthy environment and meet city and county regulations with your building project.
We provide that expertise.
Building owners, facility managers, contractors, developers and engineers need to know potential risks through a certified hazardous waste material assessments. We provide asbestos, indoor air quality, testing and assessments on the front end of a project, throughout the life of a project and at sign off. We provide necessary logs, paperwork, testing results, and consulting on how to correct remediate asbestos, mold, lead and other hazardous materials.
With our over 15 years experience on the ground floor of older buildings in St. Louis, we know what it takes to be responsive to our client’s needs, give appropriate guidance on correct remediation, and provide needed paperwork and testing through our expertise and conducted assessment and surveys. We know the St. Louis city and county regulations and will give our clients and their contractors guidance on how to correctly adhere to these regulations.
MBE certified through St. Louis city and state of Missouri
What Our Clients Are Saying
Frequently Asked Questions
We know we can’t answer all of your questions without talking to you first, so here are a few of the most common questions we get from our clients.
Asbestos
It’s not possible for you to tell whether a material in your building contains asbestos simply by looking at it. If you suspect a material within your building might contain asbestos (for example floor tile, ceiling tile or old pipe wrap) and the material is damaged (fraying or falling apart) or if you are planning on performing a renovation that would disturb the material, the EPA recommends that you have it sampled by a properly trained and accredited asbestos professional (inspector). The professional then should use an accredited laboratory to perform the asbestos analysis.
If you have vermiculite insulation in your home, you should assume this material may be contaminated with asbestos and be aware of steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from exposure to asbestos. The EPA recommends that vermiculite insulation be left undisturbed. Airborne asbestos fibers present a health risk through inhalation, so the first step is to not disturb the material, which could release fibers into the air. If you disturb the insulation, you may inhale some asbestos fibers. The degree of health risk depends on how much and how often this occurred. If you choose to remove the vermiculite insulation, this work should be done by a trained and accredited asbestos abatement contractor that is separate and independent from the company that performed the assessment of the vermiculite insulation to avoid any conflict of interest.
Asbestos that is in good condition and left undisturbed is unlikely to present a health risk. The risks from asbestos occur when it is damaged or disturbed where asbestos fibers become airborne and can be inhaled. Managing asbestos in place and maintaining it in good repair is often the best approach.
The only way to be sure whether a material contains asbestos is to have it tested by a accredited laboratory. EPA recommends testing suspect materials if they are damaged (fraying, crumbling) or if you are planning a renovation that would disturb the suspect material. Samples should be taken by a properly trained and accredited asbestos professional (inspector).
Lead
- Regularly cleaning floors, window sills, and other surfaces.
- Washing children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.
- Making sure children eat a healthy, nutritious diet consistent with the USDA’s dietary guidelines.
- Wiping off shoes before entering the house.
- Using an EPA-certified firm for renovations, or if you are doing the renovation yourself, using lead-safe work practices
Lead is known to cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk from exposure lead-based paint because they crawl on the floor and they put their hands and other items which can have lead-based paint dust on them into their mouths. Because their bodies are still growing, children tend to absorb more lead than adults.
Children exposed to lead can suffer from:
- Lowered IQ
- Damage to the brain and nervous system
- Learning and behavioral difficulties
- Slowed growth
- Hearing problems
- Headaches
Adults can suffer from:
- Reproductive problems (in both men and women)
- High blood pressure and hypertension
- Nerve disorders
- Memory and concentration problems
- Muscle and joint pain
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing estimated that 38 million permanently occupied housing units (40% of all housing units) in the United States contain some lead-based paint that was applied before the residential use of lead-based paint was banned in 1978. “Housing units” include single-family homes, manufactured housing, and multi-unit dwellings like apartments. Vacant housing, group quarters (e.g., prisons, hospitals, and dormitories), hotels, motels, and other short-term housing, military bases, and housing where children are not permitted to live (e.g., housing designated exclusively for the elderly and those with zero-bedroom units) are not included in this number. More information on these statistics is available from HUD.
Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. In general, the older your home, the more likely it has lead-based paint. Soil around a home can contain lead from sources like deteriorated exterior paint, past use of leaded gas in cars, or from past renovation activities. Household dust can pick up lead from deteriorating lead-based paint, from past renovation projects, or from soil tracked into a home. If you work with lead, you could bring it home on your hands or clothes. It is important to shower and change clothes before going home. Launder your work clothes separately from the rest of your family’s clothes.
Mold
Mold exposure can have a wide range of health effects, depending on the type of mold, the level of exposure, and the individual’s sensitivity. If you smell mold, it is recommended to reach out to a qualified professional for an indoor air quality assessment.
