SiO Housing not up to Code

Light fittings containing environmental toxin PCB were made illegal in January 2005. However, these are still operative in Pilestredet Student House as well as Bjerke and Kringsjå Student Villages, which house a total of 2841 flats. As far as Universitas is concerned, these light fittings are operative in every corridor and flat at Pilestredet. Pilestredet, Bjerke and Kringsjå are parts of SiO (the Foundation for Student Life in Oslo).

Evacuation

«The requirement said that all PCB fittings should be replaced by the end of 2004. However, revised regulations were introduced later on, which allowed continuance subject to a plan for completion,» head engineer of the Environmental Protection Section under the County Governor in Oslo and Akershus, Jens Hertzberg says.

«PCB is among the world’s most dangerous environmental toxins. The landlord is in trouble if no plan for replacement can be produced,» spokesperson for environmental issues with Tekniske Entreprenørers Lansforening, the national union of technical entrepreneurs, Erik Pilgaard says.

According to head engineer in the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority, Monica Lahpi, failure to replace fittings may, in a worst case scenario, result in the landlord being reported to the police.

«If you have not applied for continuance, you have to show evidence of motions to solve the problem as well as a time plan and budget for replacing the fittings,» Lahpi says, who has not received an application from SiO. In the event of PCB leakage, an evacuation may be due, according to a national plan of action for replacement of light fittings containing PCB.

Mentally Disturbing Noise

In addition to fittings containing PCB, ground floor residents at Pilestredet are tormented by noise from a transformer in the basement which belongs to Hafslund Energy Supplier. According to surveys made out by the health inspection consultant of Pilestredet, Claus Fischer, the noise level is almost double of what is allowed.

«It is an annoying sound, more mentally disturbing than physically,» Fischer says, who ads that the matter may as a final resort end up in court.

Authorities in this part of town await, according to Fischer, the ruling in another transformer conflict with Hafslund before they are likely to report the transformer at Pilstredet. He is not certain whether the legal responsibility for the noise lies with the landlord or the energy supplier.

«As long as the sound comes from Hafslund`s transformer, costs are due for Hafslund,» Director of Student Housing in SiO Tom Olstad says, who is awaiting validation or invalidation as to the source of the noise.

He believes it will be very expensive to isolate the noise.

Chief Information Officer of Hafslund Nett og Sikkerhet, Morten Schau, is ready to better the conditions if their transformer proves to be the perpetrator.

«A Plan

According to Olstad in SiO, plans of completion have been due for quite a while, and work has been started at Kringsjå and Bjerke Student Villages. Olstad does not want to produce an actual blueprint but claims that the essence is to replace the remaining fittings within the adjourned deadline 1 January 2008 decided by the Ministry of the Environment.