Asbestos
Overview | Asbestos
NESHAP Resources | Asbestos Worker Protection Resources
Asbestos
State Regulation Locator
Overview
"Asbestos" is
not a single, specific material -- it is the name given to a group of naturally
occurring minerals. For example, you may come across the following
mineral names, any of which may be referred to as "asbestos": chrysotile,
amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, or actinolite
asbestos. In addition, any of these materials that have been chemically
treated and/or altered may be considered asbestos.
Asbestos
is used in certain products where heat and corrosion resistance is
important, such as building materials and vehicle brakes. For
building materials, asbestos is most often found in products such
as shingles, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts, insulation,
ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, and acoustical products. You
are particularly likely to find asbestos in older materials in existing
buildings.
Asbestos
is known to be a health hazard. If inhaled, it accumulates in
the lungs, creating scar tissue that makes it more difficult to breathe,
and leading to a type of lung cancer called mesothelioma, which is
almost always fatal by the time it is diagnosed. Therefore,
asbestos is extensively regulated. For the construction industry, there
are two primary concerns, each having its own set of rules:
- EPA (U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency) established rules under the authority
of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to protect the general public from
the release of airborne asbestos fibers during the demolition or
renovation of buildings. These rules are referred to as the Asbestos
NESHAP (National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants).
They cover work practices to be followed during demolition and renovation
and other activities involving the processing, handling, and disposal
of asbestos-containing material.
- EPA established asbestos regulations under the Toxics Substance Control Act (TSCA) in part to prevent or eliminate unreasonable risks to health or the environment associated with chemical substances or mixtures. While much of subchapter II of the TSCA statute focuses on asbestos in local education agencies (LEAs), there is one program that is applicable to public and commercial building renovations and demolitions. The Model Accreditation Plan (MAP) requires workers associated with an asbestos renovation or demolition operation at a public or commercial building must be properly trained and accredited for the work they do on-site.
- OSHA
(Occupational Safety and Health Agency) and EPA established rules to
protect the health of workers that are most likely to contact
asbestos. These rules established strict worker exposure limits and
set out requirements for employers regarding exposure assessment,
medical surveillance, recordkeeping, and hazard communication. The
EPA rules cover state and local government employees and the OSHA
rules cover private sector workers.
EPA and OSHA asbestos regulations have been in place for some time and
a lot of useful compliance assistance materials already exist. In order
to help you find those items which are likely to be most useful to you,
this page presents a selection of the resources that CICA considers the
best, and the most relevant to the construction industry.
The information
presented below pertains only to federal regulations. Please note that
state (and sometimes local) asbestos regulations are often more stringent
and far reaching than the federal regulations. Therefore, you should
also use the CICA Asbestos State Regulation Locator to
learn about the rules in your state.
Asbestos
NESHAP Resources
EPA’s Asbestos Small Business Ombudsman (ASBO) serves as a conduit for small businesses to access EPA. The ASBO advocates for small business issues, partners with state Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs (SBEAPs), EPA Regional Small Business Liaisons (RSBLs), small business trade associations, EPA headquarters and regional offices, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and other federal agencies to reach out to the small business community.
Demolition
Practices Under the Asbestos NESHAP
A plain language summary of the Asbestos NESHAP covering pre-demolition activities,
demolition practices by type of ACM and by method, waste handling, and disposal
practices.
Common
Questions on the Asbestos NESHAP
Many of the questions included on this web page have been raised by demolition
and renovation contractors in recent years. Most questions relate to how
a demolition or renovation contractor or building owner can best comply with
the regulation. The responses assume that the questioner has a basic understanding
of the Asbestos NESHAP and demolition and renovation practices. A brief glossary
of terms is also included at the bottom of the web page.
Asbestos
NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance
The purpose of this web page is to provide guidance to asbestos inspectors
and the regulated community on how to determine if friable ACM is adequately
wet, as required by the Asbestos NESHAP.
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=50000M05.TXT
Asbestos/NESHAP Regulated Asbestos Containing Materials Guidance
The purpose of this web page is to assist asbestos inspectors and the regulated
community in determining whether or not a material is and
thus subject to the Asbestos NESHAP.
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=50000M05.TXT
Field
Guide: Reporting And Record Keeping Requirements For Waste Disposal
This is a web page designed to help you comply with the new
reporting and record keeping requirements of the asbestos National
Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). The specific
responsibilities of waste generators, transporters and waste disposal
site operators are addressed, as well as detailed explanations of how
to complete the new forms accurately and efficiently. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=50000LYJ.TXT
Asbestos
Worker Protection Resources
OSHA's
Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry
A booklet published by OSHA that explains the provisions of the OSHA standards
(29 CFR 1926.1101) that pertain to the construction industry.
OSHA 10-Hour Construction Industry
Outreach-Trainer Presentations
These materials are designed to assist trainers conducting OSHA 10-hour Construction Industry outreach training for workers. Since workers are the target audience, these materials emphasize hazard identification, avoidance, and control - not standards. No attempt has been made to treat the ten topics exhaustively.
40 CFR 763 (Asbestos Worker Protection)
In this Final Rule, EPA amends both the Asbestos Worker Protection Rule (WPR) and the Asbestos-in-Schools Rule. The WPR amendment protects State and local government employees (construction work, custodial work, and automotive brake and clutch repair work) from the health risks of exposure to asbestos to the same extent as private sector workers by adopting for these employees the Asbestos Standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
CICA
Asbestos State Resource Locator
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