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When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began mandating that landfill operators install low-permeability bottom liners and final covers, the idea was to mitigate leachate and precipitation and ultimately protect groundwater. These design features have proved to accomplish those goals, but some drawbacks have been discovered over time.

Liners and final covers extend the time during which gas is generated while slowing the speed of the generation, and they extend the waste decomposition time.

When waste is encapsulated or entombed in these engineered structures, gas production could go on slowly for decades up to 70 or 80 years, as reported in a technical article written by SCS Engineers Bob Isenberg and Darrin Dillah.

But Isenberg and Dillah found that if that same dry tomb they modeled in their paper were made into a bioreactor where moisture is introduced into the waste the gas would be produced for about 20 years, and then it would stabilize.

Why are people paying attention to gas production rates and the moisture content of landfill waste?

Gas is generated when you have moisture, and quick gas generation stabilizes waste, says Dillah. The quicker you stabilize the waste, the quicker you can get out of post-closure care requirements. Conversely, by entombing waste, you extend the natural stabilization process, and you extend the time period for post-closure.

The first landfills are about to reach the 30-year mark since Subtitle D began mandating bottom liners and final covers the prescribed post-closure care period.

I think a lot of landfill operators will find they cannot show they reached the stabilized point where gas generation and leachate quantities are minimal and where they can say there will be no impact on human health and the environment, so the 30-year period could be extended, Dillah says.

Time is money. Post-closure care can cost $100,000 or more a year, depending on the size of the site. Shortening that period could save thousands to millions of dollars in some scenarios, Isenberg estimates.

Despite the potential for dry tomb-related delays in ending post-closure periods, no one is looking at changing the bottom liner and final cover to speed gas generation and waste decomposition. But a small number of operators are exploring new approaches, from techniques to deal with leachate to the timing of the placement of the final cover. EPAs research, development and demonstration rule is allowing landfill operators to try some of these approaches.

One technique of interest is the recirculation of leachate in a controlled manner, either by spraying or injecting it into the waste. Another approach, though not as common, involves allowing stormwater runoff into the waste.

Operators typically try to divert rainwater from landfills and create ditches, channels and ponds to manage runoff. But if its done carefully, one might be able to allow some stormwater runoff into the waste. This can be tricky, however, because if a 100-year storm hits, it could create problems, Isenberg says.

Another method is to delay the installation of the final cap until several years after the landfill is filled in order to add moisture from rainfall. Some operators are looking at this approach as it relates to settlement.

As Isenberg explains it, decomposition produces gas as a byproduct, and as gas is generated, mass is lost, which triggers settlement. Pennsylvania allows operators to wait until five years after landfills are filled to install caps in order to allow settlement to take place.

These techniques come with drawbacks. For example, recirculating leachate costs money and requires manpower. And it has to been done carefully.

If you inject too much leachate, you can slow down the gas generation due to saturation of the waste, Isenberg says. Or you can create localized settlement problems, slope instability, or odors.

In the case of delayed cap installation, operators must anticipate and predict settlement so that when the cap is installed, they have positive drainage and stormwater is controlled.

Another method to avoid the dry tomb impact is to accept wastewater sludge and other wet types of waste. Adding these materials to municipal solid waste increases moisture content and accelerates decomposition.

But wet waste has to be introduced carefully and with engineering controls, because this type of material may be weaker and could create stability problems or odor issues. Technique is important: Its advisable to distribute wet waste around the landfill, though more in the middle or the interior than on side slopes.

Engineers advise that operators establish a percentage of wet waste that will be accepted based on engineering evaluations, looking at stability, gas generation, and leachate in order to avoid saturation.

Jeff Murray, landfill practice leader for HDR, says technology like landfill liner systems and leachate and gas collection systems have proved effective in protecting human health and the environment.

When the solid waste regulations were developed nearly 30 years ago, perhaps their performance was uncertain and was supported by the dry tomb approach, Murray says. But with available disposal capacity at a premium, we should be having a discussion to provide more flexibility for closure time frames that allow solid waste to degrade more fully and to settle so that airspace can be recaptured, incorporating proper planning and controls.

This approach, Murray says, could extend the life of some landfills by up to 30%. In addition, it could reduce the time to reach functional stability after closure, potentially shortening the post-closure care period, and it could reduce the long-term liability and risks to human health and the environment.

Isenberg says dry tombs are fine for protecting groundwater, but there are approaches to accelerate decomposition to reduce post-closure in a safe manner.

You have to understand gas, leachate and settlement, Isenberg says. This requires working with engineers to design the system, contractors to build the system, suppliers of equipment and materials, and regulators to ensure compliance. We just have to think outside the box or think outside the tomb.

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Conundrums of Dry Tombs and Possible Solutions - waste360

Located at Cholsey near Wallingford, Oxfordshire, New Barn Farm Quarry is the latest quarry operation to be opened by Grundon Sand & Gravel (GSG)

A 6 million investment:With Grundon purchasing the site in July 2015 and gaining planning permission in November 2018 an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of sand and gravel is expected to be extracted over the next 18 years. Once quarry operations are complete a 20-year conservation and restoration programme will be put in place.

GSG have invested 6 million in the 66-acre site, which included a state-of-the-art Sand Plant and Water Treatment System which will provide gravel and a variety of sands for the building, construction, leisure and landscaping sectors, including two local concrete plants as well as selling directly to the general public.

Golden Harvest Gravel:The opening of the new quarry also sees GSG launch an exclusive new Golden Harvest Gravel into its gravel range. Blending shades of gold, bronze, and cream, it is an exceptionally durable hard flint, and is ideal for areas with high footfall, such as driveways and car parks, as well as landscaping areas. It is available in 10mm and 20mm grades.

Andy Bright- GSG General Manager, commented, We are delighted to add New Barn Farm Quarry to our quarry portfolio. We believe it will prove a valuable resource for the local housebuilding and construction industries throughout the wider Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire region, underlining our reputation as a leading supplier of sands and aggregates.

We are also pleased to have brought new jobs to the area and look forward to welcoming local people through our gates for their own gardening and landscaping requirements.

PowerX Equipment The next generation in Aggregate & Mineral Processing:The plant has been designed, supplied and commissioned by PowerX Equipment who are the next generation in aggregate and mineral processing. Whether a client is looking to incorporate a single item of equipment or create an entire, integrated plant solution, PowerX Equipment design, supply and install; Aggregate Washing, Crushing & Screening, Water & Silt Management Systems, Bulk Materials Handling, Recycling and Materials Processing equipment to meet expectations and achieve profitable outcomes.

The Processing Plant:As well as supplying the wash plant and MS water treatment system PowerX also installed a 400m long feed conveyor including a feed hopper situated adjacent to the current dig. Here material is loaded into the hopper and is conveyed to a hopper fed radial conveyor next to the processing plant. From this, the material is either fed direct to the main plant or stockpiled adjacent to it.

With the plant operating at 200tph material is fed via a hopper to the inclined primary conveyor and then onto a Terex Washing Systems 4.9 x 1.5m triple-deck rinsing screen. Here the rinsed fractions of 10mm/20mm/+20mm are split and sent to radial stockpilers.

Twin sands production:The main product, sand then falls through the bottom deck of the rinsing screen and is then pumped up to the single hydro-cyclone of the AMP compact sharp sand plant. Silt from the thickener is also delivered and measured back into the feed of both the sharp and soft sand processes consistently maintaining the concrete specification.

Consisting of a high-energy 2.4m x 1.2m dewatering screen and one 200/150centrifugal pumpfor sharp sand, the plant specification is completed with one 625mm diameter conical bottom hydro-cyclone hydro vortex.

The soft sand production is dealt with by an AMP compact soft sand plant which consists of a high-energy 2.4m x 1.2m dewatering screen and one 150/100 centrifugal pump and is completed by four 250mm polyurethane cyclones to reclaim the material above 20m.

Arranged in a cluster with equal feed, each cyclone has a knife valve with chutes and rubber lined distributor box. Both sand plants are of modular design to allow complete flexibility.

Both sands are then delivered to their respective stockpile by radial conveyors.

Added benefits with the PowerX Equipment Design:John Collins Technical Director for PowerX, comments, The main difference with this plant compared to most S&G plants, is that the plant design ensures that all the silt is deposited back into the sand product which means they dont require silt ponds.

They have a fresh water pond and a thickener and the silt from the thickener is measured back into the course sand to keep that within the concrete specification and then into the fine sand and this is effectively the main difference with this and other S&G plants.

Having originally been told by other suppliers that it could not be done, the plant operated correctly within a set of parameters will operate all day long. On the flipside of this, it is not something you can do anywhere, because if the material you are washing is really dirty there is a limit to how much you can put in the sand.

The as raised material at New Barn Farm only has an average silt content of 6-8% so it allowed Grundons that benefit to lose that silt straight back into the sand without them going out of specification.

Water Treatment Plant:The wash plant at New Barn Farm incorporates a MS water treatment system featuring a 12m diameter 3m high 340m volume capacity thickener which provides a minimum of 380m/hr flow rate with a low flocculent consumption. An 8m diameter 3m high clarified water tank provides a 150m capacity with a technical room housing the flocculent system. A flocculent mixing plant and flocculent sampling plant make up the system.

Ed Fagan - Head of Projects, Engineering and Design Grundon Sand and Gravel, commented, We are extremely pleased with the design and performance of the plant which has enabled us to eliminate the requirement for silt ponds and ensure production is as efficient as possible. The PowerX team were very professional in their approach to the project showing great attention to detail and a strong emphasis on H&S throughout the project programme.

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Grundon Sand & Gravel enjoy the benefits of a new PowerX Equipment Wash Plant and Water Treatment System. - Hub 4

WARE Town Meeting on Monday will decide whether to appropriate $418,500 to demolish a privately owned building downtown at 112-114 Main St.

The Board of Selectmen last month ordered the owner to tear it down by Oct. 1, and also scheduled a special Town Meeting for Aug. 17 to appropriate funds should the owner refuse to do so.

Town officials say the building has become a public safety hazard and it could collapse onto the roadway, potentially causing injury or death. Built in 1890, it was condemned nine years ago when a section of roof collapsed.

Town Manager Stuart Beckley on Friday said the engineering firm Tighe & Bond was paid $1,700 to estimate the cost to demolish the three-story brick building.

The Town Meeting packet published Friday includes a letter, addressed to the buildings co-owner, Daniel Barenboym, from a different engineering firm, Consulting Structural Engineer Inc., that says the cost to rehabilitate the building would far exceed the cost to demolish.

Barenboym has objected to the demolition order. He told the Selectboard last month he plans to fix the building and could take legal action against the town to prevent its demolition.

Included in the $418,500 demolition cost is $150,000 for removal of hazardous materials possibly including but not limited to asbestos. Preparation prior to demolition will cost $12,000, the Tighe & Bond estimate says.

The Ware Finance Committee was scheduled to meet earlier this week to possibly make a recommendation on the funding request, but lack of a quorum caused their meetings cancellation.

Mondays special Town Meeting will convene outside at the high school football field, 237 West St., starting at 6:30 p.m.

See the article here:
Estimate is $418.5K to demolish condemned Ware building; Town Meeting will debate expense Monday - masslive.com

Earle Kimel|Sarasota Herald-Tribune

VENICE The owners of a home built by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1927 received the blessing of the Venice Architectural Review Board Thursday to demolish it and replace it with a newer structure.

Homeowner Jack Sullivan, who was present in City Council chambers as the city conducted its first hybrid in-person/online meeting, told the board that when he and his wife, Genice, bought the structure at 233 Pensacola Road from the Federal National Mortgage Association in January 2014, the intention was to restore it.

It would cost in excess of $300,000 to renovate this house, said Sullivan, who has already sunk money into a variety of improvements.

Major flaws now includea leaky roof that needs to be replaced and soft floors, indicating dry rot.

Its a bottomless pit, he later added. We bought it from the resolution trust because nobody wanted it.

Instead of speaking during the presentation by his contractor, Gregg Hassler, and attorney, Jackson Boone, Sullivan spoke during public comment, after several speakers urged the board to deny the request.

Curt and Tommye Whittaker, who own a home at 613 Venice Ave.that was built by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1926, both said the home should be kept.

Curt Whittaker said that, at the least, Hassler should have provided estimates of the cost to rehabilitate the home instead of simply saying the house was beyond reasonable repair and that it was time to go.

Hasslernoted that he had participated in the restoration of other structures built when the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers commissioned John Nolen to design the city of Venice notably Lunas Restaurant on Nokomis AvenueNorthand the dental office of his son, Gregg Hassler Jr., on Milan Avenue.

In contrast, there were too many structural problems in the house at 233 Pensacola Road, he said.

Boone, who attended the hybrid meeting via Zoom, while his father, Jeff Boone, and Hassler were in council chambers, noted that there were other considerations, such as the fact that the structure's position on the property placed it roughly three feet from the alley.

While the home is one of the original ones built by the Brotherhood and it is listed as a contributing resource to the 2010 inclusion of the John Nolen Plan for Venice being listed as part of the National Register of Historic Places, it is not historic on its own merit.

Ultimately, the review board voted4-2 to approve of the structure's demolition.

It continued until Aug. 27 a public hearing on the Sullivans proposal to replace it with a two-story home similar to those built on the opposite side of Pensacola Road, in the Courtyards of Venice.

Hassler was the developer of that project.

Among other things, the applicant must produce revised elevations and a revised site plan, delineating how pool equipment will be screened from public view.

Overall, the hybrid meeting went smoothly, save for occasional dropouts from the microphones in council chambers.

The Venice Planning Commission will convene as part of a hybrid meeting on Aug. 18, and the Architectural Review Board will meet Aug 20 as part of a hybrid workshop, before the Venice City Council hostsa hybrid session Aug. 25.

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Venice Architectural Advisory Board approves demolition of home built as city was founded - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

A request to demolish the Liberty theater building, a fixture in downtown Libertyville since 1937, has been denied by the village, but the owners plan to argue economic hardship as another way to get their wish.

Rhyan Holdings LLC, a family business that has owned the building at 708 N. Milwaukee Ave. for more than 50 years, contends the theater is not financially viable and the property would be more marketable with the building gone.

Rhyan has maintained that stance since it applied for permission to demolish the building a year ago. But no proposal for a replacement structure was offered, and having only an open lot to consider in a designated historic district was among the reasons the village rejected the demolition request.

As expected, the village board on Tuesday night upheld the recommendation to deny the request from the advisory historic preservation committee.

"I would like to see it preserved," said Trustee Rich Moras. "I also realize there would need to be a good economic reason to do so. The challenge I see with what's proposed here is we're only looking at half the equation."

After two public hearings last fall, the committee found that while the building isn't an architectural gem, it has enough historical and cultural significance that demolition would be detrimental to the public interest.

Building owners in a historic district need to secure a certificate of appropriateness to change or demolish a structure.

The village board decision to follow the recommendation sets the stage for the next act for the old movie house. Despite Tuesday's decision, the board agreed demolition can be considered later in the context of an application for a certificate of economic hardship.

"A certificate of economic hardship is justified," Rhyan's attorney David Meeks told the board. The green space would be a "temporary hold" while a buyer for the site is sought, he said.

"The property is in such condition my client feels it prudent from an economic and structural standpoint to take the building down while he works through the process of finding somebody to bring something that will be very enjoyable to the community," Meeks said.

The certificate of economic hardship would be reviewed by the historic preservation commission, which would issue another recommendation to the village board. Justification would include information such as real estate taxes, mortgage balance, appraisals, operating and maintenance expenses, and anything else needed to show whether the property can yield a reasonable return for current or future owners.

An alternate use for the property does not have to be presented, according to John Spoden, Libertyville's community development director. However, he noted, one of the reasons the commission recommended denying the demolition request was it didn't know what would replace the theater.

The theater had operated in recent years as the Liberty 1 & 2 Theaters but closed in late January. The building and 1.17-acre property is listed for $1.95 million.

Mayor Terry Weppler said a viable buyer was in hand but "backed away" at the last minute when the coronavirus pandemic struck.

Excerpt from:
Historic Libertyvlle theater to remain standing, but demolition push continues - Chicago Daily Herald

JAY The town has entered into the demolition process of the sewer conversion project.

Sewage started being sent July 29 from North Jay residences and business to the Livermore Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Selectmen voted 4-1 on Monday to approve a change order for $65,515 for partial demolition of the North Jay Wastewater Treatment Facility, full demolition of another building and other aspects of the project.

The town had a new pump station and force-main system installed to connect the North Jay sewer system to the gravity sewer collection system near Jay Plaza in Jay Village. All of Jays sewage that typically would be treated now is being done in Livermore Falls.

Jay voters approved the project in September 2018 with the end result of abandoning the North Jay plant because it is expected to be more cost efficient than continuing to upgrade the facility. The project is still under budget, according to Sewer Superintendent Mark Holt.

Of the $65,515 change order, $55,130 is for partial demolition of the package treatment unit, which includes removing the panel where the door is located and a wall panel to the right of it so that a garage door can be installed in a subsequent step. The walls are 16 inches thick and full of rebar, Holt told selectmen.

Five or six interior walls will also be cut out.

There is a good possibility that the remainder of the unit could become a compost facility for sludge from the Livermore Falls plant, Holt said. The University of Maine in Orono has shown interest in such a project. Holt has asked a representative if a feasibility study, cost estimated and preliminary design could be done, he said.

Other parts of the change order include removal for an 8-foot by 8-foot chlorination building, ductwork modification in the chemical room, and add vents to two manholes.

Selectperson Judy Diaz opposed the change order while Selectpersons Gary McGrane, Tom Goding, Vice Chairman Tim DeMillo and Chairman Terry Bergeron supported it.

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Jay enters demolition process of the North Jay sewage treatment plant - The Bethel Citizen

MARYSVILLE Heritage conservationists on Wolfe Island are stepping up their calls for a delay in the planned demolition of one of Marysvilles oldest houses.

The house at 1208 Main St. is to be torn down by the end of September to make way for construction of a new ferry terminal.

But members of the islands historical society and their supporters, more than two dozen of whom gathered outside the house Friday morning, want the house preserved.

Wolfe Island Historical Society president Kimberly Thomas said the plans for the new ferry dock, including artist renderings, showed the house would remain in place.

A lot of people in the community thought the house would still be standing because of the photos, she said.

We want to stop the demolition and have a conversation. I dont know what the next step is. If the next step is that the house has to come down for the dock to proceed, I dont know how many of these people who showed up here today would look at it differently.

The group plans a rally at the house on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Thomas said she hopes the demolition can be delayed until the community has a chance to express to the Ministry of Transportation that there is interest in saving it.

The MTO is not in the business of keeping houses. They just dont have the staff or funds to finance it. I just dont think it was brought to their attention that there is community will to keep it, she said.

From what Ive been told by the professional architects and the engineers and the people who are appraisers, and these are people who are in the business, all the plans show is that they need some of the land but not the land the house sits on.

The ministry said a heritage impact assessment of the house was done about a year ago, and while it was deemed to have cultural heritage value of local significance or interest, it did not meet the requirements for designation as a provincial heritage property of provincial significance.

The architect we spoke to says it does because its significant to this community, its a very unusual house for this community, Thomas said.

The house is an American Foursquare design, which was popular between the late 1890s and the late 1930s. It was considered a reaction to ornate Victorian designs and, as such, was relatively plain in appearance.

Thomas said the house was built around the turn of the last century, and its design incorporates handcrafted woodwork inside that is considered to have improved on the original boxy design and features wood from Douglas Fir trees inside.

I think the house could stay, Hank Connell, one of the founding members of the historical society, said.It is significant.

See original here:
Wolfe Island residents rally to protect house from demolition - The Kingston Whig-Standard

Minneapolis officials will no longer require property owners to prepay the second half of their property taxes in order to start removing rubble from sites damaged in the May riots.

Mayor Jacob Frey announced the change Thursday after the Star Tribune reported on the controversy.

Minneapolis property owners have complained that the policy was slowing the recovery and turning piles of debris into safety hazards. The situation is different in St. Paul, which has been issuing demolition permits without requiring the prepayment of the second half of 2020 property taxes, which are due in October.

Frey said the city will begin issuing permits and waiving demolition fees for any properties damaged in the riots irrespective of whether taxes have been paid. The new policy went into effect Thursday.

I recently learned about the predicament and took quick action to fix it, Frey said in an interview. For the sake of our businesses, we need to be removing every last possible barrier to recovery and reopening.

Minneapolis property owners applauded the move, but they also complained about a continued lack of support from city and county officials. They hope that officials will expedite approvals going forward and help them by lowering the assessments on their heavily damaged properties.

It is refreshing to see them doing the right thing, said Steve Krause, owner of Minnehaha Lake Wine & Spirits, which was destroyed in the rioting. But the taxes are outrageous. They are based on improved real estate, and obviously the real estate is no longer improved. It is devastated.

Krause had to pay $17,116 in taxes on his property to get a demolition permit because his building is still valued at $363,400, according to county property records.

This will remove one small roadblock, but I am not sure how much it will actually speed up the entire rebuilding process, said Don Blyly, owner of Uncle Hugos and Uncle Edgars bookstores in Minneapolis, which were destroyed in the riots. You are still going to have the problem of a whole lot of demolition permits being handled by people who are working at home because of COVID-19.

Blyly, who hired a contractor to remove the rubble from his lot a month ago, still doesnt have his demolition permit, even though he paid his taxes last week.

Minneapolis City Council Member Andrew Johnson said he will introduce legislation at Fridays council meeting that would require city officials to expedite the approval process for riot-damaged properties and waive all administrative fees.

We should be processing their applications first, in front of everyone elses, and they shouldnt be subject to any unnecessary steps that are slowing stuff down, Johnson said. We need to bend over backward and do everything possible to help them with rebuilding.

In a statement, Frey said he consulted with Johnson before deciding to waive the collection of property taxes as part of the debris removal process. Johnson has been lobbying city and county officials on the issue since June.

Though Hennepin County officials said they told city officials to leave them out of the permitting process weeks ago, the county was still pressuring property owners to pay their property taxes as recently as last month.

In a July 28 e-mail to property owner Marc Snover, the countys property tax department warned him that the full years taxes need to be paid in order for us to sign off on a wrecking permit. Snover subsequently paid more than $42,000 in taxes so he could clear his lot of debris left from the destruction of a Family Dollar store and an OReilly Auto Parts shop.

They were sending me demand letters saying I had to get the debris off my lot, Snover said. I didnt want to get in trouble. But my building is worth zero right now, so it feels like they are kind of taking advantage of the situation.

Snover said the county should refund his property tax payment.

Carolyn Marinan, a spokeswoman for Hennepin County, said property owners who paid the taxes to get a permit can apply for a refund. We would make a decision on a case-by-case basis, she said.

Finger-pointing is not helpful, Marinan said in an e-mail. Everyone wants to make this right.

Though Minneapolis officials will no longer force property owners to pay their taxes for a demolition permit, a spokeswoman for the city said that individuals who clear their lots without first paying their taxes will be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

However, city and county officials told the Star Tribune that they would not enforce that law and will not be citing any property owners or contractors who go ahead with demolition work without first paying the taxes.

Due to the unrest and the mass destruction, properties that have been determined to be an unsafe and health risk are being encouraged to remove the debris, Minneapolis spokeswoman Sarah McKenzie said in a written response to questions. We are going to be handling this appropriately in the best interest for the citizens of Minneapolis effective today.

City officials said they will continue to seek additional property tax relief from the Legislature, which has not moved forward with any bills related to rebuilding efforts in the Twin Cities. Democrats have proposed legislation that would require the reassessment of all riot-damaged property and provide abatements worth up to 100% of a propertys 2020 tax bill. The size of the abatement would depend on the amount of damage.

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Minneapolis removes tax demand that was blocking rebuilding of riot-torn areas - Minneapolis Star Tribune

By: Spaulding Decon | 0Shares 5Reads

TAMPA, FL, August 14, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ - Inc. magazine today revealed that Spaulding Decon is No. 784 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy's most dynamic segment - its independent small businesses. Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

"We are excited here at Spaulding Decon to continue to grow our business. The services we provide are unique and sometimes gruesome so to see a 608% growth since we began franchising in 2016 is amazing. It goes to show the dedication to our business and what we do, as well as the franchisees we have added into the system. We look forward to continuing to grow."

Not only have the companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists as well. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved an incredible three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000's aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years.

The top 500 companies are also being featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands August 12.

"The companies on this year's Inc. 5000 come from nearly every realm of business," says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. "From health and software to media and hospitality, the 2020 list proves that no matter the sector, incredible growth is based on the foundations of tenacity and opportunism."

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring the companies on the list will be held virtually from October 23 to 27, 2020. As always, speakers will include some of the greatest innovators and business leaders of our generation.

Spaulding Decon is one of the nation's leaders in the crime scene cleanup industry. They offer services from accidental death and biohazard cleanup, hoarding cleanup, drug lab cleanup, mold remediation, water damage restoration, rodent dropping cleanup, tear gas cleanup and more.

Started in 2005 by CEO and President, Laura Spaulding, Laura saw the opportunity to expand her business and chose to franchise in 2016.

SOURCE Spaulding Decon

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Inc. Magazine Unveils Its Annual List of America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies - the Inc. 5000 - Franchising.com

Realtors are investing in coronavirus-safe homes as the future of real estate. FOX Business' Gerri Willis with more.

Mold may be hiding in your home whereyou least expect it. For mold to live and grow, there needs to be a damp and usually dark and unexposed surface.

Mold may be hiding in a closet behind clothes you rarely touch, or behind a dresser you haven't moved away from the wall in years.

PEOPLE ARE RENTING OR BUYING SECOND HOMES FOR OFFICE SPACE AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Mold can hide in a ceiling or wall after a water leak, or under a carpet whose floor underneath is damp from inappropriate drainage or leaks.

When you see something that might resemble mold, there's a temptation to run for the bleach bottle and vigorously scrub it with a rag.

That is the last thing in the world you want to do, for several reasons.

No. 1: If it really is mold, you don't want to mess with it, inhale it and risk the potential health issues.

People also grab the towel and the bleach for fear mold could significantly reduce their chances of selling their property or cause a big financial loss in the sale. But mold is not something to mess around with.

NYC HOUSING MARKET RECOVERY MAY HINGE ON SCHOOLS REOPENING

If you have mold, it needs to be dealt with appropriately, even if it is not a serious species. It also should be disclosed in your sale. Even if you choose to remain uninformed, you are obligated to report anything that visually stands out or is otherwise known, and draw attention to it for a buyer to do his or her own investigation.

Another issue people sometimes deal with inappropriately is asbestos.

Back in the '50s and '60s, it was very popular to spray your ceiling with a compound we often refer to as "cottage cheese" or "popcorn ceiling," which often contained asbestos.

In fact, it is not true plaster but a material that was blown onto the ceiling to disguise typical cracks that may occur in plaster.

MORE AMERICANS SIGNED CONTRACTS TO BUY HOMES IN JUNE

It was very popular in those days and later became increasingly unpopular due to the dated look and resemblance to low-income tract housing that has no character or charm.

Some popcorn ceilings were enhanced with shiny specs of glitter to make them even more distinctive and decorative.

Now, of course, we are horrified to see these ceilings and can't wait to scrape them smooth again. I urge you not to pull out the razor blades, though, because you may release dangerous particles and fibers into the environment. There is an appropriate way to remove cottage cheese ceilings that contain asbestos.

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Asbestos was banned in the 1970s and rarely used after 1980, so if you know your ceilings were blown onto the surface after 1980, the material likely doesn't contain asbestos.

If you think you have mold or asbestos, before doing anything, find a specialist who can analyze the specimen. Read reviews, and make sure they are legitimate vendors.

If it is determined that you have mold or asbestos, hire an appropriate remediation company to deal with it. Even if it is costly, to have peace of mind and prove to a subsequent buyer you have no liability, you need to get a certification that shows it was dealt with completely and per housing codes.

The bottom line is this: Don't panic or do things yourself. Seek qualified inspectors, and always consider your options.

Ron Wynn has been among the top 100 agents in America for over 10 years, as noted on REAL Trends/Wall Street Journal. Ron has represented over 2,200 sales totaling over $1.5 billion in sales volume in his 30-plus-year career as a real estate broker in California.

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Selling a house with problems: what to know - Fox Business