Kerrville City, Texas – In most states, asbestos regulations tend to get tighter over time, not more relaxed. Yet that’s exactly what is happening in Texas town Kerrville City.

A new set of building codes that have been criticized as being too relaxed, and cutting too many corners, is up before the Kerrville City Council for final approval today.

The updated codes include the International Building Code, International Energy Conservation Code, International Fuel Gas Code, International Mechanical Code, International Plumbing Code, and International Residential Code.

The amended codes include changes to asbestos regulations for owners of existing commercial buildings. If the new set of building codes is approved, owners of existing commercial structures will have certain building permit requirements waived in some situations. The requirements that may be waived include the need for asbestos surveys. Demolition of interior load-bearing walls is also included.

Two Kerrville City building officials have already resigned over the “weakened” building codes.

Brian Whitton, who resigned on March 3, had been chief building official for six years. Jeff Price, who quit on March 12, had been the city’s assistant building official for a full decade.

A few days after resigning, Whitton said “The big reason is that City Council has decided to pass ordinances with local amendments that will severely weaken the building codes. I can’t believe any reasonable person in this community would think that’s a good thing.”

Price said he left his position for “similar reasons.” Both men now work for private code enforcement companies.

Whitton said he had respect for the city’s officials, but he “wouldn’t be surprised if someone from Austin pays the city a visit,” meaning the Texas Department of Health.

Of the recent building code changes, Mayor Gene Smith said “I think you’re really violating the intent of the code. Public safety is not an economical matter.”

Among the recent changes for homeowners is the removal of the requirement for an asbestos survey before demolishing any interior walls in their homes. Councilman Scott Gross said that since asbestos hasn’t been used in construction since the mid-1980s, it was a waste of money for homeowners to have their homes surveyed for the substance.

However, the removal of this section of code means that any homeowner, regardless of when their home was built, is not required to have their home surveyed. Asbestos was so widely used between the 1940s and 1980s that there are literally tens of millions of homes all over the country that contain asbestos. Now, Kerrville City homeowners don’t have to have their homes surveyed before interior demolition, even if their home was built during that era of peak asbestos use.

Demolition activities are highly likely to release asbestos dust if the substance is present, presenting a possible health hazard for anyone in the vicinity of such an activity.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 5:05 pm and is filed under Asbestos Legislation, Texas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.