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What Special Requirements are There for Transporting Asbestos-Containing Materials?

Transporting small amounts of asbestos-containing waste by yourself is allowed without meeting any legal requirements as long as it's done with your own vehicle. Though the vehicle must be registered for commercial use. Always double check with the authorities that regulate asbestos in your state. The risk is very serious for both you and others who may use your vehicle later, as well as for other drivers on the road. Transportation is an area that's regulated for good reason.

Commercial transportation of asbestos-containing products as waste is regulated under 49 CFR 107, 171-173. These are federal regulations that classify non-commercial asbestos waste (the ACM you or an abatement contractor has removed from the home, plus all the protective gear used to isolate the work area along with other materials that were in contact with asbestos) as a Class 9 Hazardous Substance. Any carrier of more than 66 pounds of Class 9 waste is required to be prepared with documents that identify the property owner and the address where the waste came from and the licensed landfill where it is headed. If the route crosses state lines, haulers are subject to additional hazardous materials regulations. If more than one pound of friable asbestos is spilled or leaked during the trip, the owner of the transport vehicle must immediately contact the National Response Center (800-424-8802) and a state hazardous-material emergency response team as well. The homeowner that generated the waste is responsible for it until it is buried in the landfill, but the risk of an accident is much less if a licensed hazmat hauler is used. They will know whom to call and what to do to minimize liability even in the worst case.

In addition to your name and address, the shipping papers (which get filed with the United States Department of Transportation) will clearly state the substance is asbestos. Shipping papers will also explain it is a class 9 substance with material-identification number NA2212 (for North America only), packing group III, and that the Reportable Quantity (RQ) for spills is one pound (the standard RQ for friable or otherwise regulated asbestos). The documents also show how many total pounds are in the shipment and will list emergency telephone numbers. You will get a copy of the shipping documents back as a signed receipt from the landfill operator when the asbestos is safely tucked back underground.

If the truck or other transport vehicle is carrying 1001 pounds of waste or more, it must also be marked with placards. These placards identify the asbestos by name and ID number on a weather-resistant white background with seven black stripes. There will be at least four placards on both sides and each end of the truck. Any air shipment of asbestos waste, regardless of how small, must be placarded and documented. These placards are instantly recognizable to public-service emergency personnel, who will know how to handle the asbestos safely in the event of an accident on the road. You are still ultimately liable to pay for cleanup of a spill, and for seeing that it is done right. The easiest thing to do is share the responsibility with a licensed reporter.

While the waste is being loaded at the work site and unloaded at the landfill, the area will be further marked as hazardous, under federal regulations (40 CFR Part 61 Subpart M), to keep away anyone who can read. The signs must be at least 20 inches by 14 inches, and the text on them is specified by the law:

• Danger, Asbestos Dust Hazard
• Cancer and Lung Disease Hazard
• Authorized Personnel Only

Even though the waste being loaded into the truck is double-bagged in thick plastic, sealed with duct tape, and double-wrapped in plastic and taped, the truck itself will be double-lined with extra-thick plastic and sealed. This lining will be stripped out at the landfill and buried with your packaged waste. The truck will then be thoroughly washed before it leaves, even if it is coming right back for more debris.

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