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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 15, 2004 Work resumes on Fluhrer building A lab determined that lead-based paint being removed from the exterior is nonhazardous By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A downtown restoration project has resumed after paint removed from the Fluhrer Bakery building was deemed nonhazardous. Paint samples taken from the Fluhrer building at 29 N. Holly St. do contain a small amount of lead, said Raimond Peterson, hazardous waste compliance inspector with the Department of Environmental Quality. However, samples did not approach a standard requiring the paint to be deposited in a hazardous waste disposal site, he said. Renovation of the building halted last week while the paint was tested at a local lab. The project is partially funded by a $17,500 facade improvement grant administered by the Medford Urban Renewal Agency. An older layer of oil-based paint most likely contained the lead, Peterson said. Specks of it apparently flaked off the building as crews attempted to uncover a 1950s advertisement painted on the structure’s exterior. The oil-based paint will remain intact and covered with a new latex layer, said historic preservation consultant George Kramer. Crews never intended to remove the existing latex exterior. Portions of it came off as workers pressure-washed the building to prepare it for a new coat of paint, Kramer said. When parts of the old Fluhrer sign came into view, crews only removed enough paint from the mural to accurately reproduce it in latex, he added. Advertisement "We want the public to realize ... that everything’s on the up and up," Kramer said. Bagged paint strips removed from the Fluhrer Building can be sent to the local landfill, Peterson said. Test results indicated the stripped paint contained less than one part per million of leachable lead. At least five parts per million of leachable lead have to be present to relegate a substance to a hazardous waste site, he said. Peterson added that he uncovered no evidence of any paint chips entering storm drains. The building’s owner, Medford attorney Bill Ferguson, paid for the environmental testing, Kramer said, adding that he believed all along the paint posed no hazard. Workers covered the building in a latex paint 12 years ago, he said. However, lead-based paint is often a concern when restoring of historic buildings, he said. "Lead paint exists on almost any commercial building in downtown Medford," Kramer said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemonat 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities