TAIPEI PCC SAFETY AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY

S E C R E T AIT TAIPEI 001142

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OBO/OM/SHEM; OBO/OM/FAC; OBO/OM/AM/EAP
DEPT ALSO FOR EAP/EX - MARK MITCHELL
BANGKOK FOR RIMC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2016


TAGS: ABLD AMED AMGT KSAF KRIM
SUBJECT: TAIPEI PCC SAFETY AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY

REF: A. SECSTATE 46635

B. SECSTATE 21660

C. 05 TAIPEI 1816

Classified By: IPO Michael R. Wheeler for reason 1.4(G)(E)


1. (C) Per REFTEL A, AIT would like see the issue of indoor
air quality (IAQ) in Taipei's ABCD addressed. Taipei was due
for a complete PCC renovation and shielded enclosure (ABCD)
replacement in 2004. It needed it; Taiwan is a high-humidity
environment and the Soundsoak wall panels date back to the
Carter administration. This renovation was cancelled and
reallocated when rumors of an impending new office building
picked up steam. Our new building did not make the cut that
year, nor did it make the FY07 list, meaning AIT will be in
its current location until at least 2012 assuming we get
funding in FY08 and there are no construction delays.


2. (S) With a plan for ABCD work in place, post paid for a
facelift of IPC's office space fully expecting OBO to take
care of the rest of the PCC and ABCD as promised. In early
2005 a small earthquake slightly cracked a pipe to the
political section's toilet which is directly above the ABCD.
The water pooled and slowly found its way into the ABCD
through the seams, destroying some panels and aggravating the
existing mold problem. By the time the water leak became
visible it had contaminated a large number of panels
including the fresh air intake duct, which is not a metal
duct but a wood-framed Soundsoak plenum. An ATO team recently
came out and replaced the Soundsoak on the TCU side of the
enclosure, but the problem has not been addressed for IPC.


3. (C) At least one IMS has a known mold spore allergy and
can only spend short times in the ABCD without nasal and eye
irritation. Recently, the visiting RIMC Bangkok Operations
Officer toured the IPC and described the ABCD's condition as
"horrible," but unfortunately it is a facilities issue and
beyond the scope of Information Management. Post has been
actively fighting this mold problem for years. We've tried
cleaning the panels and using anti-fungals, and the
facilities manager cut out some infected sections and
spackled them. We regularly clean our fan coil units and
replace the filters. None of these efforts has led to any
improvement in air quality. Temperatures in the ABCD never
drop below the mid-80s because of inadequate chiller capacity.


4. (S) There is currently a plan to replace the generators,
power filters, and chillers (REFTEL B). There is a Model 1
incinerator with an asbestos blanket on the chimney that
needs to be removed as part of the power upgrade project.
This may or may not be an issue, depending on the condition
of the asbestos blanket.


5. (S) A remodel of the CTF funded by RTC is also in the
planning stages. There is no plan, however, to do anything
about IPC's ABCD space. The whole ABCD should be replaced,
but we realize that with the current budget situation that
may not be possible. Taipei's ABCD has a shared IPC/TCU door
- still broken (REFTEL C) - for which parts are no longer
available. We don't have an emergency power shutoff switch
and we can't find ballasts for our fluorescent lights, which
are no longer OSHA certified because they ground out when
replacing the bulb. At the very least, any remediation
project scope should include replacing the Soundsoak, drop
ceiling, fluorescent lights, ducting, carpet, fan coil units,
and adding an emergency power kill switch. RTC estimates the
upgrade to the IPC space can be added to their scope of work
for about $20,000 if we can move quickly. If we can't, the
cost will be $30,000 or more.


6. (C) Please advise if OBO can either add the ABCD work to
the CTF renovation project or can send a team to complete the
work as part of a separate project. The point of contact for
these issues is IPO Mike Wheeler.
YOUNG