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What Kind of Forms Do I Fill Out When I'm Removing Asbestos?

Public-health notification is a matter of local or state regulatory requirements. These requirements need to be known and followed carefully because the process is often complicated and may include government agencies from environmental quality of waste management. Some states have separate agencies for both indoor and outdoor asbestos-containing materials. An experienced local asbestos professional (an inspector or an abatement contractor) will be familiar with the forms and regulations required.

Many states, from New Hampshire to Utah, require notice to local health authorities ten weekdays before any demolition of a building can occur, even if there are no asbestos-containing materials in the building. This notice most often has to include a report from an accredited laboratory on samples from all suspicious materials in the areas that are going to be demolished or disturbed. A certified inspector can also issue the report saying there are no suspicious materials that will be disturbed, but inspectors need to know what materials must be considered because their state licenses are at stake. Handling this kind of notification on your own can be difficult.

With a renovation project, the notification may depend on the amount of asbestos-containing material that will be disturbed by the work. The measurement can be in linear feet or square feet, depending on the material that is being dealt with. If the project is small and does not require a notification, proper documentation of the project should still be done (with photos and statements from an inspector and/or laboratory) just in case future questions arise.

Even in emergency situations, such as when part of an asbestos-containing ceiling has fallen, Utahans must obtain a professional inspection and notify state authorities of their detailed cleanup plan. Only containment work to prevent new contamination of adjacent areas can proceed while the cleanup plan is being evaluated, but the state can waive the ten-day wait if quick work seems called for. In Utah, before starting the last day of cleanup work, another personal contact must be made with someone in the state's asbestos staff to start the process of clearance of a completed project. The area must be professionally re-inspected after all visible contamination is removed and be done before sealants and encapsulants are applied. A thorough report of what was done, who did it, and what it cost must be filed with the state within ten days of finishing. Even residents outside the state of Utah should carefully check regulations to learn the specific requirements in other states.

A public-health notification must be provided for all workers in every asbestos project (unless the project is completed entirely by you). The notification begins at the federal level with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Contractors have a considerable advantage over homeowners trying to manage their own projects. Most contractors have extensive experience along with access to specialized tools such as OSHA's interactive computer program. The program helps analyze standards for handling asbestos for particular buildings and gives notice to where they may have crews working.

The transportation of waste for asbestos-containing material is also federally regulated under 49 CFR 107 and 171-173. Noncommercial asbestos waste is classified as a Class Nine Hazardous Substance, and anyone who transports it, even staying within one state, must carry full shipping papers. Crossing state lines requires specific placards on the truck to warn anyone in the area if an accident occurs. Vehicles transporting the waste must also be marked with specific large labels to keep away anyone who does not need to be there when they're being loaded or unloaded.

As long as the homeowner does all the hauling, and the job falls below any other rules or regulations for the state and municipality, filling out shipping papers or labeling the load of asbestos-containing waste material may not be necessary. However, the transportation of hazardous waste is a dangerous task and it's important to remember the driver is liable for any mishaps.

Other exemptions are defined by the weight of the material being transported, but this includes all the debris potentially exposed to the asbestos-containing material. The material must be kept wet to minimize the release of dust and is known to be heavy.

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