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MCAQMD has been delegated by EPA as the local enforcement agency for the
Asbestos NESHAP (National Emissions
Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants) portion of the Federal Clean Air
Act. State and federal law require
notification to the District before
certain demolition and renovation activities can occur.
In general these regulations apply to activities that
occur at structures that are used for commercial purposes or that contain
more than four dwelling units. Some types of projects, mainly involving
conversion to commercial use, or funded with federal money, require
notification even for single family residences.
To see how the notification process works see the
NESHAP Process Flow Chart.
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| Renovation
The law requires notification to the District at least 10 days in
advance of any renovation project which disturbs 260 linear feet of
asbestos insulation on pipes
or ductwork or 160 square feet of asbestos containing material on any other component (walls, floors,
ceilings etc.).
An
EPA certified inspector should be consulted to identify types of asbestos containing materials. |
| Where is Asbestos most commonly found?
Asbestos can be found in a number of building materials,
including drywall, plaster, roofing materials, flooring, insulation,
ductwork, adhesives, ceiling tiles and a wide variety of other commonly
used materials.
Are new building materials asbestos free?
No. EPA did require that all building materials sold
be free of asbestos, however a lawsuit resulted in that regulation being
thrown out. Currently new products that contain asbestos cannot be
developed, but existing products can be manufactured and sold. Read more about this issue at the
EPA website.
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